Kim Possible: Lost in the Darkness (REWRITE)
by tohsaka fate
Summary: Kim perished in a routine mission. The world became a scarier place. A global threat rose to avenge the fallen hero, targeting Ron, Shego, Betty and others blamed for her death. But is that all the rogue threat wants? REWRITE. Co-authored with nwilson1.
1. Mission: Colorado Lair (Part 1)

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Sorry for the inconvenience caused, everyone. decided to play a prank on me, and as a result, the story was deleted. Partly my fault too. Well, that's a word of reminder to never multitask when you are supposed to be concentrating on schoolwork. But, it also seemed like a chance for us to start all over. So sit back, and enjoy this new story. –tohsaka fate-

So hi everyone. Let's get something clear here, shall we? First off, this is a collaboration. tohsaka fate will be portraying the female characters, and I'm building the male characters. Side dish? We will be presenting a psycho bender too. Well, something along the line. –nwilson1-

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CHAPTER 1 MISSION: COLORADO LAIR (PART 1)

A whole year had passed since the Lowardian invasion. Humanity's would-be conquerors were long-gone, slain in mortal combat by Earth's most unlikely hero. Their stigma, however, still lingered.

Humanity won, but still lacked peace. Rich and poor alike lived with innate fear. The Lowardians could return any day, and in greater numbers.

Humanity finally knew. They weren't alone. The universe suddenly didn't feel safe anymore. Earth became a boiling pot. International relations proved more volatile than ever.

Even our heroes succumbed, swept along with these changing times. The first major change came when Kim and Ron broke up. They'd been best friends for so long, and grown so close together. Dating seemed wrong, almost taboo, like a brother and sister dating.

The duo separated under amicable terms. Kim relaxed a bit, relieved he'd taken the news so well. She, however, wasn't prepared for what happened next. She felt they'd always be together, maybe not as lovers, but certainly as friends.

Ron shattered her world by announcing, "I'm heading to Yamanouchi". Kim stood speechless. Of course, he tried to justify his actions. He wasn't deserting her. His carelessness had nearly gotten her killed. Twice. He couldn't let that happen again. He retreated to Yamanouchi to supposedly hone his skills.

His absence forced Kim to face cruel and unsettling truths:

The world had grown colder, more volatile.

People needed a hero, someone they could look up to, and depend upon, during both times of good and bad.

She understood their desperation. She felt that same sting.

Her best friend leaving left a void in her life too. He wouldn't around that much.

Her usual enemies had grown meaner.

Her life became so tumultuous. Her sanity sought to restore some normalcy in her life. And what she'd do? Kim fell back on what she knew, world saving. She resumed world saving, but quickly grew more discontent than ever. The world around her changed more than even she'd realized.

Global leaders weren't as tolerant anymore. No matter how many lives she saved or how closely she worked with local authorities, the media continued to vilify her as a 'glory-seeking' vigilante, like always. Nothing had really changed in all these years.

She could still hear Will Du vilifying her, "Amateur!"

She'd grown discontent. She vowed then, her life would change. Kimberly Ann Possible, now nineteen-years-old, enrolled in Harvard Law, majoring in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Criminal Psychology.

She accepted, some things would never be the same. She and Ron chose different paths in life. An ocean separated them now. And yet, deep down, in the deepest recesses of her heart, she knew they both sought something their lives currently lacked.

Something basic. Stability. Something the world lacked right now.

Both wanted their lives to stay the same. It was a silly desire. Only a child would think of such things. An adult must accept, that the world around them evolved in different ways every day, and they must adapt or lose track of the time. And yet, something deep within them bitterly opposed this fact of life.

Kim and Ron spent more time apart than together. This separation put a greater strain on their already fragile relationship. Oh, they still went on missions or have an occasional meal together when their hectic schedules permitted.

Kim attended university, and worked part-time with Global Justice.

Ron spent his days training at Yamanouchi, and nights attending a local Japanese culinary school. He slept what little he could.

They tried, they really did. Living 9,350-km apart strained their relationship more with each passing day. It'd become harder to find time to get together, especially since Ron started to date Yori, 3-months ago.

Kim didn't understand why she was so upset. Their break-up was mutual. She didn't expect he'd remain a perpetual bachelor. She simply never anticipated him dating would steal her best friend forever. She became embittered towards this almond toned Jezebel. But Kim kept her mouth shut.

Ron and Yori were reunited, and fell in love. They'd obliviously moved on with their lives, leaving Kim in limbo. What could she do? She and Monique gave the couple their blessings.

Their failing friendship tormented Kim immensely. What could she honestly do to rectify their differences? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She couldn't confront Yori. Between two women, tempers would flare, and tensions would escalate. A confrontation would surely end in a fight. Kim wasn't sure she could match this wench's skill. Even if she could, she'd still end up losing her best friend.

Her actions would force Ron to choose between them. Of course, he'd have to choose his new girlfriend over his best friend/ex-lover. She needed some time to think this through.

School couldn't start soon enough. Kim threw herself in her schoolwork trying to forget. She didn't want to think about her life, and how it became such a mess.

Luckily, she'd made new friends at Harvard. Lisana and Alan grew more concerned with each passing day. Kim locked herself inside her dorm, doing little but attend class, study, an occasional mission, and sleep very little. It wasn't healthy.

Both devised the perfect plan to fix this….

Lisana was a lithe, athletic strawberry blonde with sea blue eyes. She'd spent the last semester learning her dorm mate's peculiarities. One being, she wouldn't party, until finals were over. Now was the perfect time to enact her plan, of course, with Alan's help.

"So, Kim, wanna join us for lunch later? Finals are finally over." Lisana put her plan into action. It was now or never.

Alan Kriston was so tall and muscular. He dwarfed the two women. His scraggly mop combed to come one. Black locks dangled over his right eye, as if hiding something, but accentuating his chiseled jawline. He, too, majored in Criminal Law.

"Yea, c'mon, Kim, you should join us. It'll be fun," he encouraged her to tag along.

Kim smiled exhaustedly. Pursuing double majors proved harder than she ever imagined. Even her academic challenges couldn't top dealing with people again. She'd been so hurt by Ron ignoring their friendship. She threw herself in her schoolwork. She was relieved she passed all her classes, but didn't honestly want any time off.

Her academics kept her mind occupied. She didn't have time to think about the tragedy, considered her life. What's worse, she didn't have a justifiable reason to avoid socializing anymore. Ugh! Where's a good mission when she needed one. She toyed with her wrist Kimmunicator, like Wade would magically get her signal.

Alas, she knew she couldn't put off her dorm mate again. Today was their final day together for the quarter. Summer break would start tomorrow. Lisana and Alan had already book their flights back to Texarkana, TX tomorrow.

"Ok, sure. So, where to?" Kim queried, and slung her backpack over her right shoulder, adjusting its straps, ready to fall in behind her friends.

Before Lisana or Alan could even get her outside the dorm, her kimmunicator beeped, ruining their best laid plans. Kim needed to relax and loosen up, not going to work so soon after finishing classes. Talking wouldn't do any good. Lisana and Alan resorted to peer pressure, glaring hard.

Kim groaned outwardly, but cheer inwardly, extoling. Wade received her cryptic cry for help. He'd found something on the fly. She ignored their glaring disproval answering her Kimmunicator. Wade's hologram materialized with a glowing smile, but turned around when his mission alert terminal started to blare. She got concerned, realizing this wasn't a 'rescue Kim's sanity' mission. This was real.

"Hey Wade, what's the sitch?" Kim asked.

"Done with finals?" He queried back, looking up from his monitors. "Global Justice has been trying to contact you for the past two hours, but I held them off."

"What's up?" Kim mouthed a silent apology. Her friends accepted it with a nod. Alan waved goodbye and headed for the door, figuring Lisana was close behind. She had other plans. Lisana was an emotional, hands-on person. She stepped forwards hugged her redheaded dorm mate, now close friend, goodbye for now, and headed out the door.

Wade scrolled through his notes, briefing her, "It seems that Drakken has finally snapped. He and Shego was last sighted in their Colorado lair, and Dr Director wants you to bring them in."

 _'Shego? What's she pulling now? No doubt, another one of Dr. Dimwit's genius plans?'_ Kim griped under her breath, exiting her dorm room, making her way down the hall, careful not to bump into other students. "Ride?"

"Waiting outside the campus. Oh, and Ron's already waiting for you." Wade informed her. Kim stopped cold. She didn't mean to. It was an involuntary reaction over hearing his name. It'd been so long since they'd seen one another. She looked forward to, but oddly dreaded, seeing the blonde boy as well. She snapped out of her initial shock, starting outside again.

"Thanks Wade, you rock." She thanked him, trying to mask her trepidation about seeing her partner again, after being apart for so long.

Like most guys, Wade cluelessly smiled back and closed the link.

Kim made her way across the campus. She easily located her ride, a Black Hawk military helicopter, sat on the main lawn, surrounded by a sea of curious students. No one dared get too close. Three soldiers and their C.O. stood in attention, wearing military fatigues, and brandishing the latest assault rifles.

"Thanks for the ride, Captain Baldwin." She saluted, climbing aboard.

"No problem, Ms Possible. It's the least I can do after you saved me from the avalanche last year." He replied, igniting the engines, and they were soon in the air.

"No big…" Kim replied, and Ron elbowed her playfully in the ribs.

* * *

' _What's so great about pardons?'_ Dr. Drakken griped, while fiddling with his latest invention, specially designed to commemorate his return to evil. He'd worked a whole year under G.J.'s watchful eye. A whole year! What'd he have to show? Nothing! Well….

It turned his stomach to even admit. He'd learnt patience and the necessity of true planning. He'd never be so slipshod again, absolutely confident he'd succeed, where he'd always failed in the past.

He'd tried so hard to earn his peers' respect, something he never achieved even as a villain. He streamlined and stabilized every invention. His peers refused to acknowledge his accomplishment, and, in more than one incident, even took credit for his work, then smeared him in the media.

He didn't care about theirs or anyone else's approval any longer. He returned to evil for himself, not them. They'd see! They'd all see, and admit they took credit for his work. He'd rather be a villain, than G.J.'s lapdog.

Shego, too, was discontent with G.J. Dr. Director didn't trust her period. She had three agents babysitting her 24/7. She didn't hesitate to re-join her old boss. Sometimes, like now, she really regretted that decision.

She filed her fingernails, fed up with his juvenile antics. One person kept her here, Kim Possible. Stay long enough and she's sure to meet the spry redhead again. Shego heard about her breaking up with the buffoon. Now she had a shot. Who knows? She could get lucky in fighting and love.

"Get a grip, Dr D. It's not like this is the first time you've ever faced Kimmie." She said lazily, holding up one hand to eye her handiwork. Satisfied with the result, she moved on to the other hand.

"Shego, don't be so lax. Of course, this isn't my first time. That isn't my point."

"Then, what is your _'point'_?" She used air quotes.

"I saved the world. The villains laughed at me to scorn. You heard Dementor's taunt _, 'You made a better 'hero' than you ever did a villain'_. My peers labelled me as a failure and shunned me".

"So, you joined G.J.? And ultimately failed at that, too," she scorned him openly.

"Yes and no."

That answer stopped her scornful laughter. Shego eyed him, uncertain what he's pulling, but sure, it had something to do with his latest plan. "Explain," she demanded.

"I left villainy, uncertain of myself. What hurt most? Dementor and the others were right. I was a failure. I never succeeded in villainy. So, I tried my hand at G.J. Point is, I failed worse at heroism, but learnt to overcome my shortcomings as a villain. I was always too slipshod and impatient, thinking short-term, and not long-term."

"You building another death ray, is that thinking long-term?"

"Yes, it is," the cerulean scientist reassured her, despite her deep glower and crossed arms. He explained his reasoning, "This is my way back into the villain community. I had to do something grand, over the top".

"But….," she hesitated. "A death ray, Doc? None of them ever worked in the past".

"True," he didn't deny past failures. "I learnt from my mistakes. It'll work this time, I'm sure. I'll show G.J., Dementor, and everyone. I'm better than them".

Shego rolled her eyes, sighing _. 'Oh, great, he traded G.J.'s judgmental brood, staking his fragile self-esteem on impressing their villain counterparts.'_ "Oh, this can't go wrong," her comment dripped with sarcasm.

"No, Shego, this time, it will work." Drakken told her, patting his machine. "I will finally bring an end to that meddlesome hero, Kim Possible."

…Her doubts hurt worst of all, even though he was used to others doubting him. Not her. "I'll show everyone," he vowed, defying the odds. "To prove my resolve, I'll end," he grumbled, "that meddlesome redhead hero, Kim Possible".

Shego leapt up with, palms lit. "Oh no, you don't, Doc. Kimmie's mine, so you will leave her to me."

"Fine…" He ceded sourly, turning back to his machine.

"Another death ray? Run out of ideas, Drakken?" A feminine taunted him with contemptuous laughter.

The two villains turned to see Kim and Ron standing at the entrance. The hero still wore her usual mission gear: a purple top and black slacks, and matching combat boots.

"Kim Possible?!" Drakken screamed in surprise.

Shego resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ' _Geez, you've planned for this, so why are you so surprised when she shows up?'_ A smile crept its way across her lips, and she waved at the redhead, taunting the redhead to wave back, "Hey princess, glad you can join the party."

Kim resisted the urge to wave back. She smiled, feeling an all-too-familiar rush, something she'd missed more than she realized. "Ron, stop the ray". She turned back towards her sultry opponent, "I'll deal with Shego".

They'd been apart for so long. He'd forgotten certain traits. Ron missed her subtle undertone. "Booyah!" He replied, racing towards the machine. He could wreck something else. He'd hugely underestimated their cerulean foe this time.

Drakken intercepted the blonde, slapping his hands away from his machine.

Ron could seriously hurt the man. It was against his better nature. He resisted his training, slapping hands with his nefarious foe.

Kim and Shego both rolled their eyes at the sight, but proceeded to their own fight as well. Shego flared up her palms, throwing a plasma bolt at the redhead, who rolled out from harm's way and came back up in a crouching position.

Kim sprang forward so fast. Shego didn't have time to react. Kim tackled Shego to the ground, straddling the raven haired woman's stomach. Shego brought up one lit fist, but Kim caught Shego by the wrist. She leaned in closer.

"Being naughty, aren't we, Princess?" Shego teased with a sensuous smirk.

Kim blushed crimson red, knowing what the mint woman meant. Her grip loosened involuntarily.

Shego exploited her opponent's momentary distraction, kicking her brutally in the stomach. Kim recovered quicker than expected, catching her next punch. Betrayal's fires burned deep within her eyes. Shego knew those flames all-too-well. She opened her mouth.

"Shut it, Shego." Kim didn't want her sympathy. She had an outlet for her pinned up frustrations. "Now, we talk with our fists."

Shego raised an eyebrow at those words, winking flirtatiously, purring, "Gladly, Princess…"

Kim didn't realize what she'd said, until too late. She wanted to take it back but couldn't. Her expression changed, the olive eyes no longer playful.

Shego interpreted Kim's expression as rejection. She grew embittered, no longer simply playing. She harnessed her enhanced speed and strength, throwing a vicious punch. A single tear slid down her cheek as her fist connected.

Kim flew back, helplessly slamming into an adjoining console. She slipped onto the floor, dazed but groaning.

* * *

Okay, so here's where we would have to cut things off, or things are going to get really long. I know, I know, the previous work didn't stop here, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Next time, conclusion of the fight.

Last but not least, drop us a review to let us know what you think and how we can improve our work.


	2. Mission: Colorado Lair (Part 2)

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: A whole year had passed since the Lowardian invasion. The world was never the same again. Kim and Ron broke up. Ron pursued a new relationship, leaving Kim in limbo. When Kim and Shego met again, the two faced feelings they had never come across before.

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CHAPTER 2 MISSION: COLORADO LAIR (PART 2)

Kim flew back, helplessly slamming into an adjoining console. She slipped onto the floor, dazed but groaning.

Shego lunged, and grabbed the redhead. Her emerald hand clasped the battle suit's collar. She tightened her grip, little-by-little.

"Enjoying yourself, princess?" Shego whispered snarling behind watery, pain-staked eyes.

Kim arched herself in the woman's grip. Her very tone sent shivers down the hero's spine. Kim knew then her comment hurt Shego deeper than she could ever imagine. She gave up, not caring if she lived or died.

"KIM, RUN!" Boomed Ron's voice behind, as he scrambled towards the exit.

"THIS LAIR'S ABOUT TO SELF-DESTRUCT!" Drakken squalled, outrunning Ron, opening and bolting outside a secret exit.

As if on cue, a robotic voice boomed from the terminals lining the lair over the lair's speakers, "Self-destruct in thirty seconds…"

The monotone voice reached into her deepest recesses. Shego was awoken from her mental fog. She dropped the redheaded hero, momentarily confused, but hearing the computer bellow again, "Self-destruct in 25-seconds".

"Uh-oh…" The two woman Both women mumbled groaned, seeing they were alone. The menfolk had abandoned them both. Kim and Shego quickly got up, rushing out from the lair into the pouring rain, quickly set aside their own differences, bolting towards the same exit.

They'd gotten three-quarters the way through the long, narrow tunnel, when the P.A. started its ominous countdown, "10, 9, 8…"

Kim and Shego hastened their pace. Both swore payback, their partners deserted, leaving them to fend for themselves. A small opening comes into view, and not a second too soon.

Rippling explosion started to emanate behind them. The whole mountainside shook with such violence. The explosions grew closer. Sections of the tunnel start to crumble and cave in. Making matters worse, a fiery miasma coursed its way behind them. Kim and Shego knew they had one shot, diving.

Shego erected a plasma shield around herself.

Kim activated her shield.

Both women prayed their precautions would save their lives. A concussive wave spread ahead to miasma. The shock wave propelled the duo forward, like a bullet through a rifle barrel. Kim and Shego shot outside the cave and high into the sky. The miasma shot out several feet seconds later, engulfing them both within its fiery essence, but quickly dissipated in the pouring rain.

The two heroes and two villains escaped the lair in time, but the blast from the explosion threw them precariously close to the edge of the cliff.

Both women plummeted downward, impacting the ground with vicious thuds and rolling a way, barely able to stop themselves from going over the cliff.

Shego recovered first. Kim didn't notice. A vicious blow was her first clue. A plasma fist jacked her jaw good, snapping her back to reality.

Shego threw a second punch.

Kim didn't block the blow. Shego would expect that, and have a countermove ready. Kim did the last thing she'd expect. She somersaulted over Shego's head, landed behind and rolled away from the cliff's edge. She needed to get this fight back on solid ground.

She came back on her feet. Ron lay nearby, out cold. She wasn't sure how or when this happened. Only, she was on her own. For now, at least. What worried her? She didn't see Drakken anywhere in sight.

Knowing him? He bolted the second Ron's pressed the lair's self-destruct button. Knowing him, he was back at home and cowering in his mom's basement by now. She turns her full attention towards his henchwoman.

"What's wrong, Pumpkin?" Shego taunted the hero, never realizing understanding but indulging this innate desire. She didn't yet fully understand her true feelings. All she cared, the redhead's assorted reactions unto her taunts gave her much amusement. Shego smirked, inside and out.

Shego spared a glance to her right. Drakken snuck up behind and knelt tying up the buffoon.

The two adversaries sank into their usual fight stances. They'd fought so many years. Each knew her opponent's moves by heart, easily countering them, blow-by-blow.

Kim grunted, and aimed a kick at Shego's head, but the pale green woman ducked under it her leg and elbowed Kim cruelly in the chest. Kim stumbled backwards, bend over and coughing, barely able to stand on unsteady legs.

Shego couldn't let her chance past. She may never get this opportunity again. she moved in, leg sweeping the redhead off balance, and straddled Kim's stomach, flaring her palms again.

"So, is this the end?" Shego razzed, only the redhead didn't move.

 _'Shit, what's wrong with you? You gave up once before during our fight.'_ Shego didn't dare to ask aloud. She couldn't break character. Doing so would only put them both in graver danger. Her enemies could use the redhead against her. "Any last words?" Shego goaded her love interest one last time.

"Yeah," Kim cinched this argument. "So. Not. Happening." She brought up a fist, smashing it into Shego's temple, sending Shego rolling away, and her plasma went out. _'_ _Sorry, Shego, I'll apologize later…'_ Kim thought, but she, too, dared not say. She had to worry about her friends and enemies. Either group would gladly target the raven-haired woman.

Shego got up. Her muscles groaned with aggravation. She didn't anticipate that blow. An inhuman growl escaped her lips.

Kim knew what that meant, getting ready.

Shego flared her palms and pounced like a bobcat.

Kim ignored her momentary fears. She rolled out of the way and came back up, and waited on the green woman to come near again.

When Shego was close enough, Kim twisted her body to one side, avoiding her adversary's sharp claw, aimed at her face. Kim grabbed the older woman's arm, flipping Shego over her shoulder, then pinning Shego against the ground with her full weight.

Shego grunted in pain, not expected this move either, but recovering rather quickly. She threw another clawed fist upwards, aiming for the redhead's face.

Kim caught her opponent's hand mid-blow, twisting it behind her neck. Shego groaned, as pain rippled up and down her body.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Kim taunted, pushing herself onto the green woman.

"Shego!" A masculine voice wailed behind them, followed by hasty footsteps.

Kim was so sure. Drakken was gone, cowering in his mom's basement. She'd dropped her guard. She'd gotten so deep in taunting Shego. She didn't notice the cerulean scientist never left, not that it'd made much a difference if she had. He'd never interfered into their fights before. Why should he start now?

Kim never saw the hit coming her way. Seconds later, she found herself on the rocky surface, nursing a tender jaw as Shego climbed to her feet, staring at a certain cerulean scientist who was busy blowing his knuckle.

'Dr. D?" She gaped in bewilderment. He'd exceeded her expectations. It wasn't everyday she saw him plan an actually do something right. Maybe his time with G.J. wasn't all a waste.

"Oh, you can thank me later, Shego." He shook it off nonchalantly, and jabbed a finger in the heroine's direction. "Now finish her!"

Shego didn't say a word, only smiled sadistically. She lit her plasma, heading towards the dazed, and humiliated redhead.

Kim climbed back onto her wobbly legs. Her stance was amateurish at best. She barely avoided a rudimentary mid-section kick.

Shego arched her right eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She kneed the redhead's stomach. Kim collapsed on her knees, holding her stomach and coughing ruggedly. Shego easily landed a vicious kick, sending send backwards on her back, hard.

"Oh, come on, Pumpkin," she snarled, waiting on Kim to stand up again.

She couldn't understand, _'Dammit, Princess, what wrong with you? You're usually faster and more of a challenge than this?'_ Shego griped, as though the redhead could read her thoughts.

Kim climbed back onto her feet, after a few painful breaths. She took her usual stance once again evincing, "Is that all you have, Shego? You've gotten slow…"

Shego was touchy about her age. She feared grown old and helpless. Shego flared her palms like usual, hurling a plasma bolt. She expected Kim to dodge it, but she didn't. The bolt hit Kim square in the chest.

Kim screamed in pain and soared back. She hit the rocky ground hard, tumbling several times. She barely stops a few millimeters from the cliff's edge again, right back where she'd started.

Ron woke up, and saw his partner in trouble. He activated his mystical monkey power. His blue aura spread over his whole body. He easily snapped the ropes constraining him. He jumped up, before Drakken and Shego knew he was awake.

"SHEGO!" The freckled teen yelled, raising a fist. He punched her square in the face, stunning both Shego and Drakken. Ron turned his attention to Drakken, who was making his way towards Kim cackling maniacally.

"DRAKKEN!" He shouted once more, jumping on the scientist, who brought out a hypodermic gun and aimed it at him. Ron easily dodged the darts, landed in front of the cerulean man yanking the device from his hands. "What did you do?" Ron demanded.

Drakken shook his head madly, but Ron didn't his subtle glances. Drakken focused his attention on the hypodermic gun in Ron's left hand. Ron sensed his intentions. His right hand reached out closing around Drakken's throat, applying pressure. "Say it."

"Nothing!" He whimpered pathetically. "Shego!" He choked out with a sob.

A plasma bolt hit the blonde teen square in the back, and Ron's vice grip loosened, sending Ron tumbling several times.

Drakken scurried away, seeing the blonde climb back onto his feet. Ron crouched down. A cerulean aura intensified around his body. He sprinted towards Shego, agilely avoiding her plasma balls.

"Unhh…" A groan came from their left. Both Shego and Ron turned with growing curiosity, and saw Drakken dragging the unconscious redhead towards the cliff and kicked her over the edge.

Shego accessed speeds even she didn't know she had. She reached the cliff first. She leapt over the edge, not caring about her own safety, and landing on a narrow ledge, catching the redhead with one hand, digging a bare claw into the rocky mountainside.

Ron reached the cliff edge by then. He shoved the cerulean scientists aside, trying to pull Kim and Shego to safety.

Drakken rewarded Ron's heroics, trying to shove him over the cliff, too.

"Buffoon, a little help here." Shego muttered, watching the two males slapping each other's hands away. _'_ _He may be the Monkey Master, but he's still a buffoon.'_ Her heart skipped a beat when she felt Kim's hand slipping from her grip. _'Shit, this rain…'_

"Buffoon, hurry up!" She yelled.

"Trying!" Ron yelled back, pushing Drakken away. He scurried over to the cliff back and began to heave the two women up with one hand, and play-fight Drakken with the other.

One shove sent him over the cliff as well.

Ron pulled out his grapple gun and fired it, the metal claws clamped onto a boulder, and he swung dangerously from his lifeline. He looked up Shego who was staring at the claws clamped into the boulder next to her, and then back at him.

"Can't you ever do anything, right?" She shouted irately.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Not the time for this, Shego." Came the reply. He pressed a button on his grapple gun, and the line retracted, pulling him up. He pulled the teen hero up with him once she was within reach, and with a shove from Shego, they pushed Kim up to safety on the cliff.

But the rocks under Shego's hands gave away, and the woman felt herself falling before Ron caught her arm. Their eyes widened at the sight on the cliff, where Drakken was hovering over Kim, with no one to stop him. Dread rose in them, but they could do nothing to stop the cerulean scientist as he raised the teen hero up, sneering.

"You think you're all that, Kimberly Ann, but you're not!" He snarled, tossing Kim over the edge and into the river below.

"KIMMIE!" The green villainess shouted. When she had seen Drakken holding the unconscious redhead, she thought about firing a bolt of plasma at him to knock him out, but she had feared that he would drop the hero into the river below.

Now, she watched in horror as the hero fell from the man's hands, but Kim was too far for the green woman to grab. In the end, all she could grasp was the locket the hero wore around her neck. Ron and Shego could only watch as the hero fell with a huge splash into the raging Colorado River beneath their feet.

"KIM!" Ron screamed, searching to see if his best friend would float back above the water, not noticing the grip of Shego's hands on his growing tighter.

Shego snarled, harnessing her full furor. She plants her feet firmly against the cliff side, pushing herself outwards and upwards, flaring her plasma like a jet engine. She fell a little short, grabbing a hold the cliff's edge, and catapulting herself upwards against wit a single tug. She landed gracefully on her feet like a gazelle, before a still snickering Drakken. She bid the blond boy to back up, before pushing wet raven locks from her eyes. Her plasma flared from head to toe.

"See Shego? You never could get rid of Possible, but I did it with ease…" Drakken began to gloat, waging a finger in her direction.

Shego snarled once more, grabbing the scientist by his collar, pulling him off the ground. "What did you do to her?" She demanded, breathing her plasma breath into his face. "What was in that dart?"

"Uh… I don't know what are you talking about…" He mumbled, not meeting his sidekick's emerald orbs. He shook in fear, but deep inside him, he knew that the meddlesome hero would not be back to thwart his plans anymore ever again. He had finally bested the G.J.'s hero, and his longtime nemesis. The villain community will have to stand up and take notice now.

"WHAT WAS IN THAT DART?!" She practically screamed into his face. "I KNOW YOU MUST'VE HIT HER WITH IT! OTHERWISE HER MOVEMENTS WOULDN'T BE SO SLUGGISH!"

Ron stepped forward. "Shego, let's try another approach." He said coldly.

Shocked, she stepped aside. His tone and whole demeanor reminded her when he became Zorpox the Conqueror.

Ron pulled out the hypodermic gun pressing it against the madman's neck, "Well, we always have the option of seeing how whatever's in here affects him. What do ya say, Shego? Wanna find out?"

"Yea," she edged him on.

Ron smiled coldly. His best friend gone, probably dead. He had no reason not to become Zorpox again. He squeezed the trigger tighter.

Drakken heard the trigger mechanism's unique squeak, right before it clicked and fired. He whimpered, seeing the blonde's icy blue eyes, up close and personal. And he damn well took this incident very personal….

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Just don't inject me! Please!" He cried in terror, wetting himself, and writhing under the blonde's grasp. What's more, his henchwoman even turned against him.

"It's a specially formulated muscle relaxant. I developed it myself. It systematically shuts down the neurotransmitters in the brain and major skeletal muscles, by decreasing the levels of actin and myosin interactions in the muscles".

"Layman's term, Drakken?" Ron queried, smacking him a few times.

"It means, it's a type of poison that kills slowly using your body's own structures against itself. We have to find Kimmie." Shego muttered, throwing the man to the ground. "Do you have GJ on the way?"

"Yea, I do," Ron nodded. "I also asked Dr. Director to dispatch search and rescue teams, while you were busy yelling at Dr. Dimwit over there. A medical team will be on standby as well".

Shego threw a powerful bolt of plasma in Drakken's direction, cratering the ground beside him, smoke rising from the damage she caused. The scientist scooted away at the sight, cowering in fear, but he still shouted, "Shego!"

Shego glowered towards him with murder in her eyes.

Dimwit didn't notice or was a glutton for punishment. Either way, he staked his contract reminding her, "You are my sidekick! You're supposed to get rid of the meddlesome redhead! But you never did! You let her thwart with my plans, then made fun of me!" Every syllable dripped with deeper malice and betrayal.

Betrayal? He didn't know the mean? She'd been holding Kim's locket, the last token the redhead was ever really alive. She didn't wish to ruin her treasured keepsake. She tossed it into Ron's hands.

She turned towards the cerulean scientists, temper flared worse than he'd ever seen. He now regretted his choice of words and harsh tone, and doubly so, seeing her plasma spread over her whole body. He tries to scamper away.

Shego proved faster, and wilier. She harnessed and channelled her rage into her plasma, blasting her idiot boss square in the chest.

Drakken hit the ground writhing in unimaginable pain. The plasma balls quickly dissipated, but its reside easily ate through his clothes and slowly burning her mark deeper into his chest.

Shego didn't even spare him a second look, as she took the locket back from the freckled teen, and one glance at the carvings on the locket froze her in place. What had just happened kicked in fully, and she fought to keep the bile down her throat.

' _No, this can't be happening! Anyone but her. Anyone but her…'_

She made her way to the edge of the cliff, and look down at the raging water below. _'She couldn't have survived this… not with how the water is hitting the rocks…'_

Shego closed her eyes and collapses on her knees. She bowed her head sobbing mournfully. She didn't really intend on saying her name. It just slipped out.

"Kimmie…"

"Kimmie…"

"Kimmie…"

A river of tears couldn't heal her broken heart.

* * *

End of chapter two. Next time, a new villain rise from the shadows.


	3. A Twist Of Fate

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: Betrayed on both sides, Kim's anger and bitterness flared. Ron deserted her behind enemy lines. Shego played dirty in their fight. Now Kim must survive the raging Colorado on her own. 

* * *

CHAPTER 3 A TWIST OF FATE

Kim plunged into the icy Colorado River. Temperatures loomed in the lower 20s. The initial shock was the jumpstart her body needed. The unconscious adventurer snapped awake in 3-seconds flat. Her mind foggy, and movements sluggish at best, a result of Drakken's 'poison' running through her bloodstream. Her arms and legs felt like paperweights, and muscles burned like fire.

Survive. That was what she desired most. Survive.

Even her cloudy mind couldn't miss where she was. She didn't remember how she'd gotten here. She last recalled Ron and Drakken deserting the exploding lair, leaving her and Shego behind. She helped Shego escape. And how does she repay her kindness? She fought, herding her towards the cliff. Then….

Then this.

Kim deduced, Shego must have been who threw her over the cliff and into these tumultuous rapids.

Her own life hung in jeopardy. Her hand shot unto her neck, searching for her Nana's good luck charm. But it was more than that now. After the Lowardian invasion, it meant more than a simple good luck charm to her. That was why she wore it wherever she went, even missions, and never took it off. The family heirloom wasn't there, gone.

Kim bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing the urge to bawl bitterly. All she could think….

Betrayal's cruel dagger plunged deeper into her heart, wrenching, and turning.

First, Ron left her behind, fleeing for his own life.

Next, Shego threw her into this raging river to drown, then compounded her treachery by stealing her family heirloom, the last thing her Nana gave her before passing away.

Their rivalry, witty banter, petty fights, nothing she'd ever experienced can ever top this. A virulent rage ignited in her heart, bold determination to survive this ordeal, and then confront these traitors, over what they'd done to her.

First, she must battle nature and win. One word stood foremost in her mind. **SURVIVE**.

Raw rage distracted her mind. She had more pressing issues. Some sensations started to return unto her body. She could move her arms and legs again, but not without considerable pain. Her dilemma didn't stop there.

Her body kept inundating her mind with sensory perceptions. Her neurotransmitters were near overload, unable to process everything. The stress amplified her already surging pain levels, and quickly crossed her pain threshold.

Her brain blocked what it could but couldn't suppress the soaring sensations. Pain rippled through her physical body like a tsunami. Something in her brain begged she stop, make the pain cease, by any means necessary. Her body couldn't take this abuse.

Baser instincts take over, fuelling her unyielding desire to survive. At least her battle suit offset the hypothermia, though barely. Kim shivered, submerged in icy-cold waters, and exposed to arctic temps. Her fingers and lips turned purple from the cold. She couldn't feel anything.

Kim flailed about, simply trying to stay afloat, swept along mercilessly by the swollen Colorado's vicious rapids. All she could think was…

' _Oh, God, please help me!'_

Only, God wasn't listening, not that she could tell. The harder she prayed, the more violent the river turned. Aquatic hands reached out and grasped hold of various part of her anatomy, even sensitive areas, and dragged her under, depriving the hero of oxygen, immersing her deeper within its icy depths.

Kim kicked, flailed, and screamed (at least in her mind), battling nature simply to survive. She clamped her mouth shut, even though all her instincts urged her to shout as loud as she could. It took her full concentration, but she resisted this base urge.

Foamy water still seeped into her mouth, sliding down her throat, flooding her lungs and stomach, little-by-little. The simple task of breathing became more difficult. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, she'd held her breath so long. Her body signalled her brain to take a deep breath.

Luckily, nature wasn't done toying with its prey. It didn't want her dead. Not yet. The swelling waters temporarily released its vice grip. Kim clawed her way upwards, her burning muscles protesting every action.

Her head popped above the raging waters. Kim spat out what excess mud and water she could. Her lungs still felt waterlogged. Olive eyes opened to assess her surroundings, while flailing about still.

Her strength was waning fast. Again, she prayed _, 'Oh, God, please help me!'_ Only, her salvation didn't come this time, either.

The river turned colder, mocking her more sorely. The rapids drove her forcibly downstream, like a victorious general parading his captive back home, a crude display of his superiority. Nature's cruel mockery reverberated off the canyon walls, growing louder with each reverberation, as the rapids crashed against the rocks and shoreline.

Nothing she suffered thus far could break her spirit. Kim continued to fight.

Intimidation and mockery alone wasn't enough to satisfy nature's sadism. The river upped its game, mercilessly slamming her between rocks, like a pinball machine. Cuts and bruises covered her body. She grunted deeper with each impact, but couldn't stop this brutal assault.

Near mind-numbing pain wracked her body. She harnessed this pain, latched hold, and pulled her battered body over a sturdy, stationary rock. The pain eased some, at least momentarily. The cruel Colorado raced by, irritated that its prey found a reprieve within its domain.

Kim coughed sharply, spewing more muddy water from her lungs and stomach. Her lungs burned with overexertion. She exhaled sharply, thankful for the rest. She glanced at her Kimmunicator. Face plate cracked. Internal circuitry fried and waterlogged. She couldn't call Global Justice or Wade for help. She started to cry. She'd never felt this helpless. Part of her reprimanded herself for always depending on others to save her ass.

Depending on Ron… he'd always have her back and never deserted her during a mission… until now.

Depending on Wade…he'd always have the most up-to-date INTEL and cutting edge equipment… but he couldn't hear her cries for help now.

Depending on Shego…. she'd fight her as equals without pulling any dirty tricks… and she fell straight into the trap.

 _Everyone let her down. Big time_ _._

Ron deserted her.

Wade sought employment elsewhere. He'd help when he could fit her into his busy schedule.

Shego didn't simply violent her 'twisted' code of honour. Her crimes eclipsed them all. She tried to kill her, then stole her Nana's necklace. A necklace which meant more than an heirloom now.

Now she must battle nature alone and unarmed.

She hoped better but, always knew deep down, her reprieve wouldn't last forever. The Colorado swelled with rage. Violent current washed beneath her body, picked her up, and violently flung her over the rock.

Kim grasped hold firmly. The river tugged and tossed her lower body about. Her fingers slowly slipped, releasing her grip involuntarily. The rapids grasped hold of her stronger than ever, dragging its flailing victim downstream.

This bitter cycle repeated itself so many times. Even Kim started to despair. She began to sink, yet again. She'd lost count how many times. She grew weary of nature's mind games. The waters closed over her head, maybe for the last time.

Rapids shot in every direction, tumultuous and unruly, twisting her about. Throwing her against rocks, draining her remaining hope and strength. She half-expected, but….

Nature didn't shove her head back above the waters. Her lungs burned worse than ever, crying so desperately for air. A single breath. The difference between life and death. She was so tired.

Mother Nature knew, her fun was about to be over. She toyed with her prey a little longer whispering, _"Why don't you give up? Why continue to fight? Accept the inevitable. It's futile. You'll never survive my fury. Make it easier on us both. Embrace your fate, and let go"._

Kim latched onto this disembodied voice. She no longer heard nature, but Shego. "No, I will live and not die," she tried to yell back defiantly. The Colorado silences her gurgled reply. Her bitter rage burnt hotter than ever.

She refused to give up so easily. Dying would give those traitors too much satisfaction. Knowing they'd broken her legendary iron will. Survive, and they must face her again. She gave up twice while fighting Shego. That was a mistake she'd never repeat, ever again!

Kim dug somewhere deep inside, tapping a hidden reservoir. These fiery waters washed over her soul, like a burst dam, infusing her with renewed strength and vitality. She clawed her way back above the waters, spewing the muddy, foamy water from her lungs.

The river wouldn't give up so easily. An aquatic hand grasped hold of her ankle, dragging her beneath its murky depths. Kim defied nature its prize, clawing her way above the waters again. She struck out, desperately reaching for something, anything, not aiming for anything specific, just something to help her stay afloat or pull her from this river's grasp.

A sharp pain shot through her right knuckle. Kim examined her hand, noticing her scrapped and bleeding knuckles. Peripheral movement also caught her attention. Her mind then registered the log snaking the river rapids right alongside her. She reached out on instinct, grasping hold, refusing to let go.

Her fingers curled tightly around its rough bark, cutting into her fingers, while she pulled herself back above the rapids. Her body cleared the waters. She blinked in utter surprise but relief, too, spewing the muddy water saturating her waterlogged lungs. She inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh air. Her pain eased ever so slightly. Even a brief reprieve was better than nothing.

Nature couldn't let her go so easily. The Colorado—like a malevolent entity bent on the redhead's destruction—swirled her around, tree and all. She felt her grip slipping, like back at the rock. History repeated itself. Kim retrieved her grappler, firing. The hook latched around a boulder.

She felt hope surge once again. The river swelled with pride. The rapids grasps hold firmer, tugging at her log. Her line groaned to sustain hers and the log's weight, while battling the river's rage. The tension grew too much inside her line. Her claw gave under metal fatigue. The prongs bent back, dislodging.

The log shot ahead, leaving her behind. Kim plunged once again into the icy Colorado River. The rapids dragged her farther and faster downstream. Kim held tight unto her grappler. Hoping, praying, her lucky charm might yet save her life.

She felt herself sinking again. Her lung inhale on instinct. The Colorado turned more sadistic than ever, dragging its desperate victim near the shoreline, while still forcibly dragging her downstream. She was so close. Even her blurry vision spotted something green nearby. Her mind wasn't sure what it could be. Not that she really cared at this point.

Kim didn't debate her choice. Her right hand shot out, grasping hold of whatever it was. The tender branch couldn't support her waterlogged weight. The branch snapped loose, dumping her back into the raging Colorado.

Her eyes were so blurry. She couldn't see. Her lungs burned for oxygen. Her limbs felt like lead. Her mind a mass of swirling grey, matching these rapids. The Colorado taunted her misery. It'd brought her so close to shore. And yet, she'd missed her salvation.

The Colorado dragged her yet closer. Her head broke the water. She could see the rippling outline of something brown and grey. She couldn't make out what it was. Nor could she stop if she really wanted. She braced, as her head collided with more bark.

Kim ignored her head's emanating pain. She had one last chance. Kim harnessed her remaining strength. She had one shot. Fail and those traitors win. She reached out and grasped hold, refusing to let go regardless the pain. She pulled herself to safety, escaping the river's grasp. Kim rolled over on the sandy shore.

She threw her hands high, caterwauling like a wounded animal, joyous to still be alive. Her jovial celebration didn't last long. Her caterwauling attracted another problem.

Even as the shadows swirled about her vision, Kim distinctly heard something prowling nearby, all around, growling and snarling ferociously. She leapt back onto her feet, ignoring her body's demand for rest.

Starving wolves emerged from the nearby brush. Growling and snarling, their teeth bared and eyes locked upon with such hunger. She'd trained enough at Yamanouchi, honing her other five senses.

Fresh blood oozed from her many wounds, stoking their base instincts, making them hungrier and meaner. The alpha male charged his prey, growling and salivating. Teeth bared.

Kim batted him away with a large stick. The stick broke upon colliding with the animal's ribcage.

His pack's growls intensified, hearing their alpha cry in such pain. Every member moved in for the kill, snarling and snapping to intimidate their prey.

Kim stretched forth her hand beckoning, "Lotus Bloom". The Lotus Blade's counterpart landed in her outstretched hand. A single thought morphed her sword into multiple chakrams—a circular disc with sharp edges all the way around.

Each disc eviscerated multiple K9s, apiece. Even their blood didn't halt their vicious attack. All this bloodshed only fuelled their aggression. Kim easily dispelled two K9s with a split windmill kick, punching two more away.

All four dogs hit the ground hard, dazed momentarily, but quickly recovered. The others backed away, regrouping, before resuming their coordinated attack.

Her reservoir of energy started to wane. Kim knew she wouldn't last much longer. She checked her battle suit's power supply, 50%. She could use her lasers some, but not excessive. It'd drain her remaining power. Her suit was the only thing keeping her alive at this point. Losing it and she'd haemorrhage in seconds, or die of hypothermia.

Her K9 adversaries stalked towards her again, snarling with bared teeth. Their eyes consumed with feral hunger. Mouth salivating, carving fresh meat. Her naked flesh.

Kim activated her suit's lasers, both arms, firing at will. Her 4-megajoule beams spliced through her K9 rivals with each ease. She cut their pack in half in under 20-seconds.

Her attackers made a hasty retreat.

Kim relaxed a bit, hoping to catch her breath. Certain, they'd be back. Such predators don't give up so easily. What she didn't know? They'd already outsmarted her.

Two wolves snuck up behind her, while distracted by their pack. Both pounced upon her back. Kim lost her balance but somehow managed to stay on her feet. A third wolf solved this by jumping on her back and bowling her over. Their retreating pack doubled back, attacking with greater ferocity than ever.

Kim flared her plasma reserves she'd absorbed while fighting Shego. All three canines yelped in excruciating agony. Her plasma ate away their fur, searing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree burns into their exposed hides.

She rolled over, trying to get back onto her feet, but stopped by peripheral movement. A K9 moved in. Kim barely threw her hand up in time, or he'd bit her neck. His sharp teeth sank into her control gauntlet. Their internal circuitry shot violent sparks, shorting safety measures. A back surge fried her suit's offensive weaponry, further depleting her powers reserves, down to 33%.

His companions attacked their distracted prey. One dog latched onto her left wrist. Two bit down on her right, applying a combined bite totalling over 1,400-lbs of pressure, severing the wrist. One of them released the torn appendage, and went for her right shoulder, clamping down hard. Two more clawed at her face, marring her face and left her blinded by her own blood. Kim screamed in feral agony, surpassing anything she'd ever felt.

Spurred by blood, four more raced ahead. Two latched onto her right leg, and three her left, roughly applying over 2,000-lbs of pressure, amputating her left ankle. Another hoarse scream was torn from her, tears gathering in her eyes. The remaining dogs shook what's left of their prey violently, just to see if something else would come off, finally tossing her aside like a discarded ragdoll.

She impacted a nearby boulder headfirst. Kim groaned, losing blood from her head wound and lost limbs. Her vision blurred worse than ever. She knew she'd pass out but probably not soon enough, with ferocious, bloodthirsty wolves closing on all sides.

An ocean of tears couldn't bring her relief. Betrayal wrenched its dagger more violently, tearing at her hearts deepest recesses. She'd tried so hard and survived so much, only to end like this. It wasn't fair. She cursed Shego and Ron with her dying breaths, as darkening shadows swirled around her head.

Kim closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. The pack would attack from all sides, tearing her remains apart, limb from limb. A waterfall of tears couldn't alleviate her terror.

Kim didn't know. God heard her prayers. He even answered them, only not in the way she might've imagined.

Kim also didn't know. She had a secret admirer. He'd secretly loved her for many years, but kept silent, too ashamed to tell her how he really felt. He wasn't athletic or adventurous. He was your garden variety nerd, smarter than most, but not the smartest. Average, at best.

* * *

He always monitored her mission, worrying about her safety, even assisted at times. Neither Kim nor Ron ever suspected his involvement. He heard what Drakken had done. His heart sank in despair. The burly, shaggy brown head raced straightway into the canyon below. He didn't care about his own safety, only hers mattered.

His foremost thought, he must save her. Her so-called friends had let her down miserably lately.

Ron dumped her, because she'd proven herself weak during the alien invasion. He opted to bed that milk-tone Jezebel, Yori.

Even Monique—her supposed best female friend—deserted her, moving to Milan, Italy. Oh, she claimed it was to pursue her dreams. She'd dreamt about becoming a fashion designer for so many years. Kim didn't hold a grudge, even encourage her best freind.

He, however, knew the truth. Kim wasn't as forthcoming. She'd suffered greatly at those alien's hands. Much she'd never shared with anyone. Her silence drove her 'friends' away.

Wade accepted a job with Global Justice. Oh, he still provided her free technical support, but didn't have the time necessary to truly vet these missions properly. If he had, Kim wouldn't be hurt now.

Drakken's crimes surpassed them all. He designed a compound, meant to kill his soulmate. The shaggy haired man sampled this madman's compound. He may've intended to create a poison, but only succeeded in formulating a neuro-muscular suppressant.

An unstable compound infused with millions of microbial nano-morphic genetic resequencers. Each nanobot taps into a person's genomic code, employing a base code sequence, and rewrites that individual's genetic matrix. He knew, even if she survived this ordeal, she'd never be the same again, mentally or physically.

"Shadow," a female voice interrupted his private thoughts, as he searched the canyon basin. "Come in, Shadow," she boomed, getting his attention.

"I'm here, Aurora. Over," the burly young woman responded, hoping his TAC officer may've learnt something helpful. And she had.

"I have a positive sighting. She's alive."

"Just tell me where, and I'll be there."

"The coordinates are coming across your tracker now."

His tracker beeped, "I've got them."

"Good," Aurora sobs joyfully. "Get moving, Shadow. She's hurt, and in serious jeopardy."

"Are there Global Justice agents closer?" He prayed they were closer, making his way towards her exact coordinates.

"You're kidding, right?" Aurora thundered, not amused. She pounded her desk furiously, venting, "That bitchy boss doesn't care. She hasn't even mobilized her search and rescue yet". She slammed off, needing some time to cool down.

Shadow made his way over the next ridge. He peered below, and witnessed the unthinkable. Wild dogs attacked his soulmate. He didn't hesitate his choice, activating his cybernetics and leaping. His feet barely touched the ground good.

Kim screamed. Two dogs sever her right hand and left ankle. They released the bloody appendage, and went for her shoulder. The other clawed at her face. The rest tossed her about like a ragdoll, temporarily discarding their fresh kill when a fresher prey wandered into their territory.

Shadow simply stood there. What's left of this pack prowled closer, surrounding him on every side, growling and snapping, daring him to run.

Shadow produced two G-36 assault rifles. Each loaded with 100-round C-Mags. He didn't hesitate, firing full auto. These wily predators didn't stand a chance. His hail of gunfire really cut their numbers, leaving little behind.

Surviving wolves attacked with greater ferocity, spurred by pack members' dying wails. The alpha seized upon their prey's distraction, circumventing his defences. He stealthily snuck up behind and leapt into the air. The wolf's teeth barely touched his arm good. A thousand volts shot through the wolf's body.

The alpha cried aloud in searing agony, breaking off his attack. His pack didn't understand why, nor back down, too hungry to worry about present dangers. Each repeated their alpha's tact, only to reap the same painful fate.

Shadow showed them no mercy. He reloaded quickly, finishing their numbers, until not a single beast remained standing. He made his way towards Kim.

"Shego, Ron, damn you both," she sobbed harder than she'd ever cried in her life. Her voice was so strained. She could barely speak above a croak. Even mouthing it before she died made her feel somewhat better.

She reached forth shaky palms. Piercing cobalt eyes were the last thing she saw, before the darkness swept her away.

* * *

Next time: Shego's reaction to Kim's death, and Anne learning her daughter's demise.

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Have a nice weekend.


	4. Broken Strings

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: Kim survived the fall into the raging Colorado. Surrounded by wolves, Kim struggled futilely against the cruel fate. However, god heard her pleas, and sent a mysterious man, Shadow to retrieve the dying hero.

* * *

Chapter 4 Broken String

Kimmie's buffoon activated his emergency beacon. Still wanted, Shego knew she couldn't stay long. Global Justice would be here soon. Cyclops would arrest her on the spot. She approximated G.J.'s response time at 30-minutes. That's how long she had to say her goodbyes.

Shego clutched Kim's locket near her heart, peering reminiscently into the raging Colorado. She drew distinct parallels amidst this tragedy. The snaking Colorado mirrored her own life's twists and turns, like these rapids weaves their way around this river's bends. Some days could be more tumultuous than others. By far, this was the worst in many, many years.

Rocks and land formations stuck above the currents. Each obstacle tried to alert the river's natural course. Tragedy does the same in our lives. The mourner can meet and overcome this grief, or bury and ignore it. Either way, your course along the river is what we call life hinges on a single decision. She knew this was one of those life-defining moments.

"Kimmie…" Shego mewled, barely above a whisper. She shook her head, tearfully trying to clear the morbid imagine. Only, it backfired. She was reliving her greatest tragedy since her parent's deaths.

"Kimmie!" She sobbed helplessly, she had tried reaching out but failing to prevent her fell. Kim plunged into her watery grave below. Shego's entire body shook, crushed by failing her frenemy. Her knees buckled, as she knelt, rubbing the redhead's locket against her right cheek.

Her parents' death hurt her so deeply. She swore no one would ever get that close again. She built high wall roundabout herself, not letting anyone that close, not even her brothers. She didn't want them to see the wounded, grieving little girl her sarcasm hid all those years.

Kimmie did what no one else could. She cleverly circumvented her defences, and conquered her within, not without. Her death delivered a decisive blow. Her walls cracked and started to crumble, more with each passing moment. That 'frightened, traumatized little girl' meandered into the open, broken and shattered. Her world crushed by life's despair. She saw no reason to live.

Ron observed her with mixed emotions. He couldn't reconcile her reactions. One minute, she fought, subtly herding his partner towards the cliffs. Drakken threw Kim into the river below. Shego didn't celebrate her death, but lost it, beating her boss senseless. Ron couldn't discount, this could be an act. One question topped his list, "Why?"

"Why what?" She deflected his question.

Ron noted, she'd given up. Shego needed a reason to fight. Take that, and her life ceased to have any meaning. Search and Rescue wasn't here yet. They needed all the help they could get. Plus, Shego was a damn good tracker. He became the focus of her rage. The blonde monkey master took a bold step forward demanding stronger, "Why didn't you save her?

Shego took his bait, not realizing what he was doing. She gritted her teeth. Raw plasma dripped from her fiery palms. She pounced upon the blonde shouting embitteredly, "You think I…. I let her fall?! You arrogant…"

He could easily protect himself. His MMP could match her plasma's intensity. Instead, he closed his eyes, awaiting the blow. Only, it never came. Ron opened his eyes moment later. He caught the green villainess staring at Kim's locket again.

Shego leapt back onto her feet grimacing, "Say nothing to anyone. Not even that damn cyclops." It wasn't a request. It was an order. She headed towards her hidden hovercar. She'd learnt, don't keep her getaway vehicle in or near Drakken's lairs. They tended to explode when Kimmie paid them a visit.

"Shego!" Ron chased the green thief, "Answer my question first!"

She ignored him, disappearing behind some brush, then shot up in her hovercar moments later.

Ron chased her shadow below, still demanding an answer. Whining turbines stopped him cold. The VTOL landed near the very cliff Kim fell.

Betty Director disembarked first. She made a beeline for him demanding, "Agent Stoppable, what happened?"

"Kim fell into the river below. I need you to dispatch Search and Rescue, Director. Immediately".

Betty turned to Will Du thundering, "You heard Agent Stoppable! Go, now!"

"Yes, Ma'am," he saluted, splitting their strike teams into search teams, at least until Search and Rescue arrives.

Ron wanted to help. Alas, he knew G.J. procedure. Dr. Director would grill him for discrepancies in his version of events.

He swallowed, and pointed to an unconscious Drakken, recounting the whole story, numerous times.

Dr. Director considered what he'd said, eyeing the unconscious naked man. Luckily, the rain put out the plasmatic fires, which torched his clothes and slowly consumed his flesh earlier, but not soon enough. The damage was done. His body covered in 3rd and 4th degree burns, raw bone visible in selected spots. She marvelled on the fact that he was still alive.

"Agent Simpson, take the prisoner for treatment," she ordered a field medic, turning her attention back towards Kim's partner.

"Enough stalling, Stoppable. Now tell me really what happened."

Ron said nothing. Why bother? He'd been talking nearly 2-hours. And she still didn't believe anything he said. He handed her a hypodermic needle spiriting, "Drakken hit Kim with this. He claimed, it was a slow acting poison, formulated by him to attack Kim's neuro-muscular system".

"Do you believe him, Agent Stoppable?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Her movements became sluggish. He subdued and threw her over that cliff…" Ron peered towards where the VTOL sat. "Shego caught her…"

"Shego? I thought they were enemies? Why would Shego try to save an agent trying to bust her and her boss' operation?"

"I don't know, Director," Ron shrugged. Even he wasn't sure about Kim and Shego's relationship anymore. "Shego reacted first, accessing speeds and agility beyond super speed".

"That's impossible!"

"Believe me or not, Director. I don't care. I know what I saw. She cleared the lair's opening to this cliff's edge in under 3-seconds flat".

Stoppable was seldom this absolute. Dr. Director gaped, "That area must cover 250 to 300 yards, longer than two and half football fields".

"She reached the cliff's edge and leapt over. She landed on a ledge below and caught Kim. I helped them up," Ron's guilt distorted his memory of actual events. "I laid her on the edge. Drakken shoved me over again. I dangled over the cliff. Shego couldn't… but didn't save Kim".

Betty noticed the cobalt blue luster in his retinas. She sensed that he was getting upset. "We'll leave this for a later time, Agent Stoppable. Now, I believe, we could use as much manpower as possible to search for Agent Possible. Come on".

Six hundred people combed the canyon below, searching well into the next day. Search and Rescue didn't find any signs whether Kim was alive or dead, not even a body.

Betty started to lose hope. Her worries escalated after Search and Rescue located bloody footprints along the northern riverbank nearby a small clearing. She couldn't help but wonder. Even if she survived the fall, and somehow made it to shore, how could a drugged, injured woman fend off such vicious predators indigenous to this area?

The blood formed a trail into the forests, where occasional howl of wolves could be heard. Betty, Ron, and Will, each led a team into different section of the wilderness roundabout.

Ron stumbled across a crushed Kimmunicator, and more blood. Lots more. He activated his ear bud, "Director, Du, get to my position. Immediately. I've found Kim's kimmunicator, and more".

"Roger that, Stoppable," she responded. "We're on our way".

Betty and Will's teams arrive 10-minutes later.

Her single good eye raked the scene. She didn't see Kim's body. Nearly 40 or more wolves lay dead roundabout them. Some eviscerated, others sawed in half by a full automatic rifle.

"Commander, process this scene. Collect every scrap of evidence, no matter how insignificant you think it might be".

"I understand, Director," he acknowledged his orders. "Where will you be?"

"Stoppable and I must inform Agent Possible's family".

Ron paled at that prospect. He'd rather face Shego on full burn, than tell the Possibles he'd failed them, and their daughter perished under his watch.

* * *

Anne Possible sat her 'brain loaf' pan on the table, when the doorbell rang. "Coming," she dried her grease-watered hands on the dishtowel, and headed towards the front door. The doorbell rang twice more, so close together. Anne instinctively knew something was wrong. She hastened her pace but stopped short peeking through her peephole.

Ron and Betty stood outside her home. Clothes dirty. Hair matted. Eyes bloodshot. Face chiseled like stone. They'd clearly lost much sleep. She didn't see her daughter. As a mother, fear arose in her heart. She opened the door, "Come in, Ron, Director".

The blonde shuffled inside with leaden legs.

Betty nodded, before easing inside and joining Agent Stoppable and the rest of the Possibles inside the living room.

"So, what do we owe the pleasure of your visitor, Director?" James queried with an arched brow.

Betty closed her lone eye, wishing she wasn't the one to break the news. Even though she had asked Ron to do it, the broken boy was in no state to do so.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you both, James, Anne".

With that, even the tweebs put away their video games, waiting for the GJ director to say something.

"Is this about our Kimmie-cub?" Anne asked, leaning into her husband's arms for comfort.

Betty nodded. "Early yesterday, Drakken hit Kimberly with a hypodermic dart, infused with a slow acting poison, which suppresses the neuro-muscular system undermining simple body functions like heartbeat, respiration, etc. She survived her initial plunge into the icy, raging Colorado River, but sustained extensive injuries in the process".

"And?" James pressed on.

"We don't know the exact extent yet. Our medical team suspects that she hit something hard below. Agent Stoppable recovered her crushed Kimmunicator. That means, even if she's still alive, she has no way to contact us for help. The search is still on-going, but we don't hold out much hope".

Anne felt lightheaded, choking out, "Go on".

The amount of blood we found…" Betty tore her gaze away continuing, "…. it's a big possibility Kimberly didn't survive long enough for us to reach her in time".

Anne broke down, sobbing inconsolably. She turned her face into her husband's chest. James tried to be strong but couldn't. His dam broke, too. Tears poured down their cheeks. Neither parents could stop them, even if they wanted.

Jim and Tim just sat there, dumbstruck, for several minutes. Reality finally settled on their brains. The tweebs get up without apology and retreat into their own bedroom.

Betty watched the Possibles with a pensive eye, then eyed her equally broken junior agent. She rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder beckoning him, "Come on, Ronald".

The two left the house without another word, and Betty sent the boy back to his own house.

* * *

After seeing Ronald was back in his home, she finally got back to her own apartment. Unlocking the door to her apartment, she immediately sensed something was wrong. She always left a window open in her living room for ventilation, but now she could distinctly smell something burnt. She stepped inside, not batting an eyebrow when she saw the green villainess sitting on her couch, a locket dangling from her hand.

"Shego, what are you doing in my apartment?" She queried, heading into the kitchen. She decided she'd best make herself some coffee. She'd hadn't slept in 48-hours straight. Something told her. This might be a long talk. Plus, the stress had taken its toll. She needed the caffeine to steady even her steely nerves.

Betty considered arresting her on the spot, but decided against it. Even if she did, Shego would break out eventually, and go on another crime spree.

"I'll answer your questions, if you'll answer mine," the thief didn't bother glancing her way.

Betty sighed, and poured herself a mug of coffee, offering, "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure. Black," came the green mercenary's reply, minus her usual sarcasm.

Betty blinked in shock, then shook her head. She opened the cupboard, grabbed an extra coffee cup, and poured then handed her enigmatic guest her cup, and took a seat beside her.

"Did you find her?" Shego puled, dreading the answer. Her emerald orbs fixed on the locket in her right palm.

Betty didn't comment on the temperamental woman's odd behaviour. She sipped her coffee, all the while wondering but not saying, 'Why's Shego suddenly so worried about Kimberly's safety?'

"No…" She began, putting her mug down.

Shego closed her eyes and bit her quivering upper lip, fighting back the tears.

Betty discerned, Shego's waiting… no, her very sanity demanded a more direct answer. Betty continued, "We found her blood on one side of the banks of the river, and more in the forest."

"Is that… all?" Shego shouted hoarsely over bitter tears.

"No," Betty shook her head, "we also found the remnants of her crushed Kimmunicator. Either Agent Possible wished to disappear, or whoever or whatever came across her knew who they were dealing with and crushed it". She opted against bringing up the predators. Shego was already emotional enough, near exploding.

"So," Shego squeezed the locket reminiscently, "you're giving up…on Kimmie, aren't you?"

Betty sighed, she'd hoped to avoid bringing this up but couldn't. The temperamental woman forced her hand. "Shego, fierce predators prowl that forest. Kimberly survived, and made it to shore, but we haven't found her yet. That can only mean…." Her voice trailed off.

Shego eyes lit up in terror. She knew what Dr. Director meant. She was eaten by wolves or some other fierce predator. That'd account for the blood loss and the lack of a body.

Shego tightened her grip around the locket countering, "She's Kim Possible. Possible. She wouldn't die that way. She's a survivor. Not dog food".

However, she harboured some doubts debating, _'I myself am not sure anyone could survive that fall… and whatever that came after…'_

"Well," Betty didn't push the issue, "Ron made similar impassioned arguments. I still have Search and Rescue combing the forest. They'll report back once they find something. …" She opted not to elaborate any farther, changing the subject fast.

"Shego, I have answered your questions. Would you be kind enough to answer mine? After all, you're a wanted thief, but here you are, still sitting in my living room, with a mug of steaming coffee."

Shego didn't take the bait. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Betty leaned forward in her seat. "Tell me, Shego. What changed between you and Kimberly?"

"Nothing…" Shego answered dryly.

"Shego, I know what happened back at the cliff. Agent Stoppable told me everything. Drakken had hit Kimberly with that neurogenic dart, then threw her over. You tried to save her, and just look at the way you're clinging onto her locket…" She didn't mention Ron blamed her over his partner's death. The mercenary already carried enough guilt. She didn't need any more pressure.

She couldn't dam her emotions any longer. Shego fell over, lying back on her sofa. Her palms draped over both eyes. She doubted the director would understand, but she needed someone to talk to, or she'd felt like she'd go insane, and was near that point already.

"You know, Bets," she started, "we have fought for so long. We come to complement each other, like yin and yang. We push each other's limits, forcing us to grow stronger with each match. We both shared a bond, something which drew us together. We never felt more alive than when fighting one another. When she fell, I realized that bond's true nature. I was so damn foolish. I…" Her voice cracked, she couldn't continue.

"Is that why you nearly killed Drakken?"

"Only nearly?" came the dry reply. "I meant to kill him. So, the little cockroach is still alive. I'd like a second chance".

"Why?"

"Our fights are special. Ours, and ours, alone. That bastard crossed a line, hitting Kimmie with that damn dart. He moves were off. I should've suspected something wrong, but didn't."

Betty listened without batting an eyebrow. Her face remained inert, expressionless. She didn't want to blow this golden opportunity. Shego's vulnerable and timid right now. Say or do the wrong thing, who knows what she's liable to do—buck and run, or possibly even burn her seriously.

"So," Dr. Director changed the subject, "mind telling me why you're in my apartment? I know you aren't here, simply because you need someone to talk with".

Shego sat up. Head hung over. Eyes stained with guilt. "Don't give up on her, please," she stoops to pleading if necessary.

Betty started with a jolt, her eyes blinking in surprise. _'The mighty Shego, begging me? Begging me not to give up on her arch-nemesis of all people? The world must be coming to its end.'_

"Why?"

Shego didn't answer. Words alone were so empty and meaningless. People lie with every breath, even to themselves. She laid the locket before her host, then sat back.

Betty picked up and opened the locket gasping in shock. The heart section contained a picture of Kim and Shego hugging, when Shego became Miss Go, over the Reverse Polarizer incident.

"This?" Betty asked, not understanding what the green thief was trying to say. "It's just a picture."

"To you," Shego shook her head mournfully, "this may be just a picture. But to me, and her, it meant so much more. They always say, a picture is worth a thousand words. I don't expect you to understand. I never did. Just promise me this. Don't give up on her."

"I won't," Dr. Director promised. "Agent Possible is one of my best field agents. She's also a kind, considerate teenager who deserves that much".

"Betty, search with all the man power you have at your disposal. If she's out there, she's counting on us to save her. You said it yourself. You and the buffoon found traces of blood, so she must've been injured. There's no telling how seriously she's injured, and with Dr. Dimwit's relaxant, her chances are slim if we leave here out there too long".

Betty took another sip of her coffee. "About the relaxant. Any idea how long until its effect wears off?"

"No" Shego shook her head, regretting her volatile temper. "I was so busy frying his blue ass for dropping Kim, I forgot to ask"

Betty stifled a snicker. She knew that deep inside, Shego was a caring person. "I guess that will be all. This 'interrogation' is over. I'd still like to know. What's the true story behind this locket?"

Shego smirked, thinking, _'No need to let cyclops know the whole story yet.'_ She choked down her remaining coffee. She stood up, grabbed Kim's locket, and headed towards but stopped short of the front door. She couldn't resist one last dig, "So, Cyclops, ain't ya going to call your dogs to arrest me?"

Betty couldn't show timidity. It'd ruin whatever headway she'd made tonight. Shego would lose respect for her. Certain, she had something up her sleeve. Dr. Director stood up and met her firm glower.

"Not this time, Shego," Dr. Director gestures her towards the door. Not the window. "After seeing how much you care about Kimberly, I think I can let you go. But, what will you do? Where will you go?".

Shego turned her back towards her host. She replied with her trademark grin, "To assume what I do best of course. I'm evil, remember? Doy!"

Betty observed her guest vanish through the same window she'd come in through. She collects both coffee mugs, dumping them into her kitchen sink.

"You have to act tough all the time, don't ya?" Betty mumbled to herself. She saw genuine pain in the thief's bereaved eyes. Shego tried to hide her vulnerability behind that badass façade, like she'd done for years, no different than moments ago.

Shego'd simply lost touch with her humanity. She'd pushed people away, and been alone so long. She'd gotten what it's like to have a true friend. Someone who'd care about her well-being. And now, she started to care again, only to have that person snatched away, like her parents. It was almost too much for the plasma wielder to bear.

Betty's cell phone rang, and she immediately clicked it on after noticing the caller ID. "What is it, Agent Du?" She asked in a stern tone.

"Ma'am, Search and Rescue found more blood, about 3-miles from where Agent Stoppable found Agent Possible's smashed Kimmunicator".

"Has the forensic team been called?"

"Yes, Ma'am," came his clip reply. "The lab confirms the samples as Agent Possible's blood".

"Did you uncover anything else, Commander?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded over the video phone. "Our searchers came across Possible's grappler, also covered in blood, and more roundabout. We also…" He paused, unsure how his superior will take this last part. "We found bits and pieces of torn flesh, again identified as hers. I think…"

"Commander, do you job," she rebuked him sharply. "Keep searching. Your assumptions can wait, until we have all the facts. We must be certain, before we tell the Possibles their only daughter is dead, torn apart alive by wolves".

"Yes, Ma'am," she disconnected the call.

Betty sighed as she put away her cell phone, watching the rising moon outside the window.

"Kimberly, where are you?"

Meanwhile, up on the rooftop, Shego sat with her back to a ventilation duct, still holding onto the locket.

"Princess…" She sobbed the redheaded teen's nickname, letting her tears flow freely. She pulled her knees unto her face. "Kimmie, please be alright…"

She gripped the locket like a lifeline. The sharp edge dug into her palm. Shego refused to let go. It'd be like giving up on her only friend. Her mind drifted back, replaying their fights over the years. She condemned her own foolishness all these years. She balled up and plowed her fist through the roof and ply board beneath.

"Kimmie… god, the clues were right in front of me. How could I have missed how you felt? Or how I felt?

She sobbed, pulling the locket close to her bosom. "If you're lost out there, I promise you, Kimmie, I find you and never leave you again".

Shego stood up, putting the locket away in her ankle pouch, and made way towards the hovercraft she left on the roof.

There was only one place where the thief would go. To the place where she found out the truth.

* * *

Next time: A world without Kim Possible.

Please, do drop us a review. It will be appreciated to let us know how we're doing and how we can improve our writing.


	5. Seeds Of Conspiracy

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE NWILSON1

Previously: The search for Kimberly came to a dead end. Presumed dead, Betty and Ron broke the news to the Possible family. Dark clouds now hovered over the family and Ron. But Shego was the one who suffered the most pain from the redhead's death.

AN: To all those who have left us reviews (you know who you are), thank you for the support. Our gratitude is also extended to all who have favourited and followed the story, as well as our silent readers.

Chapter 5. Seeds of Conspiracy

Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. Power. Prestige. Riches. All were meaningless to the man who wanted nothing to do with the world. All he cared for was her. Love drove every thought or deed, moulding him into the man he was today. He even adopted a new name, Shadow. Felix paced his latest lair, getting madder by the moment.

The Lowardians' invasion blindsided civil authorities worldwide. Prominent military leaders, global counterintelligence, even many powerhouse politicians detected these aliens' first wave, but conspired to keep quiet.

Humanity's protectors cowered inside their secret subterranean bunkers, built with the latest space age metallic nano-polymers and other composite material to avoid enemy detection. Each bunker protected by cutting edge security systems and each nation's most elite soldiers, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves as best they could.

They cared nothing about humanity's future, only their own survival, ignoring the screams of countless millions as alien robots trampled fleeing civilians underfoot, blasted every structure to smithereens, costing the global economy trillions in property damage.

Many perished, spilling their own blood to keep these cowards alive. Now? Survivors and their dead companion's families learnt the truth. Embittered, these same people outed these traitors, exposing their actions across the globe. They expected they'd be hailed as heroes, patriots even. Sadly, the very men they accused turned around and labelled them as traitors.

Most 'third world' nations sent death squads into their homes, shooting every man, woman, and child on sight, never questioning their innocence or guilt. Their actions really stirred the global media. The 'more civilized' nations learnt from their sister nations' political mistake, and opted against taking immediate action.

Rather, these 'civilized' leaders schemed, and cleared their names by branding their accusers as the real traitors, forcing survivors of this little conspiracy into exile. Their abrupt disappearances raised more questions than answers.

Violence continued to escalate across the globe. Bloody massacres became an everyday thing. People grew numb to blood. Local police, national intelligence, even private sector investigators suspected but could never link this civil unrest with these heroes' initial disappearances. Any who dared probe these issues met bitter ends. Private citizens grew weary, deciding to let their nation's government official do what's best. Maybe they can restore balance.

Not surprising, they did nothing, letting problems fester. Their inaction stripped citizens' national identities and patriotism. Oh, countries still existed on international maps. However, few global leaders still honoured those borders. Global commerce started to break down as the world became more divided and volatile than ever.

Every continent. Every nation. Every tongue. And every kindred. People all over the world became so disillusioned by the personal losses and growing global tensions. Most cast aside antiquated notions, like compassion and human decency.

Millions were still MIA. People didn't care about guilt or innocence anymore. Global authorities labelled all victims of the Lowardian invasion as traitors. Most believed, they betrayed humanity to save their own lives, but vanished when their alien masters fell in battle.

Vivian Porter was among the accused. She could never return home. She'd be shot on sight, like all traitors. Death squads murdered her family and friends, and anyone rumored to have helped her evade capture. Whole families murdered just so she could live. Vivian vowed no one else would perish over saving her but. She fled America.

She'd soon learn, she wasn't alone in her plight. Millions across the globe shared her unjust fate. These political exiles assembled into various size groups, and moved into the outmost jungles, mountains, and deserts, caring only about surviving.

Alpha leaders sprang up amidst these groups. The majority was content ruling over their groups. A few, however, craved power, seeking to conquer their outcast sister groups by any means deemed necessary. The chaos forced many back underground, running from global authorities and rogue fellow outcasts, too, now.

It was inside one of these camps Vivian ran into an old friend, who'd gone missing a year and half earlier, and presumed dead. His name was Felix Renton. He no longer went by that name. He'd changed so much over what he'd suffered in exile. He cast aside his past, going by the codename Shadow now.

Together, Shadow and Vivian started the Obsidian Pact, recruiting some of the brightest minds among survivors of the latest refugee wars. They only desired to preserve humanity by peaceful means, and slowly built their political influence among nations worldwide.

As their fame spread, global authorities viewed them a greater threat than any refugee group. In fact, Betty Director herself took a proactive role, inserting double agents among their ranks. These traitors exposed their newest base's location.

Global Justice, backed by American CIA, Brazilian CIE, Russian GRU, Chinese MSS, and others, stormed their base of operations, painting their walls in human blood. Few survive this massacre. Shadow and Vivian fled, vowing to avenge their fallen. They had to take drastic measures, but both knew, they lacked the expertise to accomplish this.

Vivian debated their options, since escaping G.J.'s massacre. Kim's accident extended an excellent opportunity. One, Shadow would find utterly deplorable. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She knew how she could turn the tables. Recruit Kim, while keeping her partner in the dark and letting him have the girl he secretly desired all these years.

She strolled through the Pact's latest lair, located atop Desolate Peak in the Grouse Mountains, debating how she could best set her recent plan into motion. It'd be risky. A hasty move or wrong word could not only expose what she'd done, but split apart their chapter. She started past the main control room but stopped upon hearing Felix ranting incoherently. Again.

Vivian smirked, perceiving. Here's her best opportunity. She leaned against the doorframe teasing her partner, "Keep this up, Shadow, and our people will think you're crazy".

"Very funny," Felix crossed his arms, not amused.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who keeps talking to himself," she shrugs. "And besides, some of our people have overheard a few of your colorful conversations".

"What'd they say?"

"Most suggested I get you a qualified psychologist. Quickly".

"Seriously?" Shadow turned to face the blonde, catching a subtle hint of mockery.

"Maybe," she smiled. "So, what's on your mind this time?" Like she didn't know.

He sighed, avoiding eye contact, but mewling, "The usual…"

"I see," she built some rapport to lighten the mood, discerning. He needed to vent his built-up tensions, or he'd explode. She gave him this chance by asking, "What about her, Felix?"

"Shadow," he shot back. "The name's Shadow. Felix doesn't exist anymore, not since his own country's leaders betrayed his trust, and labeled him a traitor".

Vivian sympathized, she, too, was an international fugitive, with a hefty price on her head. Global Justice, Interpol, Europol, Israeli Mossad, American CIA, even Russian GRU gunning for their heads. Indulging his pity party would only agitate his depressed, anti-social behaviour. She turned, as if ready to leave. And he fell into her cleverly baited trap.

Shadow gasped in shock and horror. She'd stood with him through so much. And yet, she turned her back now. He realized at that moment, his self-centeredness had strained their friendship. The pain in her eyes stung deeper than losing everything he once held near and dear. "It's that damn doctor and her inept crew," he blurted the first thing that hit his mind.

She knew what he meant. Alone times mocked him sorely, reminding him what he'd lost. Kim became his sole anchor to reality. Luckily, they'd found her alive, but their best doctors couldn't wake or treat her wounds. "Felix, she addressed him, not his alter ego, "these things can take some time. Our doctors can't simply…"

"Time? Time! It's been over a month! And still nothing! How long should this take?!" Shadow exploded, sweeping everything off his console table, even smashing the screen with his fist. Tears swelled in his frustrated eyes. He wiped away the tears.

"I don't know," she sighed inwardly. Losing his mom was hard enough, but this whole ordeal with Kim threatened his very sanity. She'd beaten impossible odds her whole life. Why should this life trial be any different? Alas, uncertainty about her fate wore down his mental defenses with every passing day. For whatever reason, God seemed content to leave him in this mental fog.

"Fine," he indulged her optimism, "let's go talk with Dr. Hall". He donned his mask. No one knew Shadow's true identity. Vivian alone had seen his face.

Shadow burst into the lab, "Dr. Hall…"

"Shadow," DNAmy gasped, whipping her head around, started by his unannounced appearance and sharp, aggressive undertone.

"Tell me you me you have something," he thundered, his piercing cobalt eyespeering into hers, daring her to disappoint him

"I have something," she blurted, quickly regretting her impulsivity. "But," she hesitated.

"But?" Shadow debated her intentions. She still didn't say anything. He misinterpreted her true intentions, reasoning. ' _People avoid direct questions when practicing deception'._ He despised liars, they'd ruined his life. "But!" He pistol-whipped her across the face contending, "You'd best have something". He cocked his firearm, stressing _his_ intentions.

"Shadow, stop," Aurora interceded, grabbing the distraught man's gun. Felix pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation. The hammer clapped shut upon the webbed skin between her thumb and index finger.

No one else would dare try this. Shadow yielded his weapon thenturned with a deep-set smirk. Their ploy worked better than ever imagined.

Dr. Hall knew she'd best given them something, and not hold back, "The patient…"

" _The_ patient," Shadow thundered fervidly, backhanding the obese scientist. "Her name's Kim Possible! Kim Possible! Got that!"

"Yes, Sir," she nodded timidly.

"Maybe you'd best share what you do know, Doctor," Aurora petitioned the obese woman. She did not have the confidence that she would be able to stop Felix if the man truly went all out with his anger.

"Drakken's poison compromised her neuro-muscular system". Amy started, only to be swiftly cut off

Tell us something we _don't_ know, Dr " Felix snarled, rearing back his hand.

Amy drew back, swallowing hard, but replying, "Yes, Sir, I…" Her voice wavered, as she lost her nerve once again.

Luckily, he didn't notice. "At least she's stable, right?" Shadow queried hopefully, scrapping away the icy residue peering through the stasis pod's view port.

Amy knew she couldn't lie. It'd only endanger her life worse. Shadow made public examples of all liars. She cleared her throat nervously clarifying, "She isn't technically stable, Sir".

"Will she live? Or die?" Shadow demanded, his voice rising.

"I can't say," she couldn't give him a straight answer.

"Can't? Or won't?" Shadow started towards the geneticist, fingers tightening around the trigger of the guns in his hands.

"Can't," she assured him, backing away with both hands held high.

He was a human lie detector. He could tell, she hadn't lied thus far. Shadow stopped cold asking in his calmest voice possible, given the urgent circumstances, "Why not?"

"Sir, we can't even treat her injuries, not until we stabilize her genetic matrix".

"Oh, shit," he cursed aloud, losing his temper again. "Don't tell me, that fucking blueidiot mixed mutagen with his newly formulated poison?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Sir. Kimberly's genetics are in major flux, undermining her nerves, muscles, and subconscious bodily functions".

"What's our treatment options, Doctor?" Vivian interceded, her partner no longer able to speak level-headedly, so lost in his own pain.

"I've put Kimberly into stasis. For now. It may take a while, but we must get these mutations under control, or else," she left the rest unspoken. But her guests knew what she was trying to imply.

"To hell with this," Shadow stormed outside the lab. He'd heard enough. Kim wasn't going to die. He'd failed her once, never again! He had made a vow that day when she lay so vulnerable in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Vivian watched her partner storm out. And she didn't try to stop him. In fact, he'd done exactly what she needed most. "Congratulations, Doctor," she smiled, impressed by Dr. Hall's Emmy winning performance. She'd stayed calm and didn't break character even at gunpoint.

Dr. Hall sealed her lab shut, completely. No one could get inside without blowing the sliding steel door from its frame.

"Where is she _really_ , Doctor?"

"Behind that wall," Dr. Hall directed her attention across the room. She typed her lab's command code authorization into her computer terminal. A side wall scraped open along its tracks.

Vivian ventured inside. Motion sensors detected her cross the inner lab's threshold. The A.I. auto-activated the medical bay's lights. A large stasis pod stood amidst this sprawling 250-square foot room. Aurora approached the pod, scrapped away the outside icy residue, and peered inside through the view port. She gasped in shock.

A 5'4", 110-lb woman with jet black hair with two interwoven red streaks down the center, and a deep Hispanic complexion lay inside the pod. She'd never guessed the woman's past, if she hadn't been told, 'This is Kim Possible'. One question still topped her list. "What happened? How'd you reattach her severed hand and foot?"

"Fact is, Ma'am, I didn't do anything," DNAmy replied frankly, shrugging.

"Who, then, reattached her severed limbs?" Vivian rebutted her claim.

"She did," Dr. Hall nodded towards her patient.

"That's impossible! Limbs don't simply grow back".

"At least not human limbs," Dr. Hall set her boss straight.

Vivian read between the lines, "Drakken's mutagenic compound is responsible for these miracle limbs' regrowth, isn't it?"

"I believe so," Dr. Hall deadpanned.

"What'd it do unto her?" Vivian eyed their patient. A girl, no one would ever suspect being Kim Possible. Ever. Not with the dark streaks in her fiery red mane. Not without any of the scars she should have gotten in the fall or attack.

Dr. Hall didn't answer right away.

Vivian wasn't usually the impulsive type. She couldn't help jumping the gun, "Is she even human anymore? Or is she part animal?"

"Neither, Ma'am," Dr. Hall answered truthfully. "She's whatever Shego is".

"Explain".

"Drakken's mutagen reacted with Shego's blood, rewriting Kimberly's genetics, even infusing her with comet powers".

"What?"

Dr. Hall perceived her boss' emanating doubts. "Follow me," she led her back into the lab, then accessed her computer terminal. She triple-tapped a certain video file. A video popped up on screen.

Dr. Hall laid her patient inside the pod. She turned up its control. Only, Kim's core body temperature started to rise against nature. Even her vitals went berserk. Vivian eyed her core body temp in utter astonishment. Kim's temps rose above 200-degrees F and still rising.

Dr. Hall responded logically, turning up the controls. The stasis pod grew cooler. Her core body temp rose dramatically in response. Kim's bodily functions became more erratic than ever. Dr. Hall pursued an unusual route. She killed the stasis pod, filtering raw plasma into the chamber.

Kim should've perished, roasted alive, while skin peeling into ash. Only, her body absorbed the plasma's full potency. Her body glowed cobalt blue, growing a new right hand and left ankle. Dr. Hall killed the video, shutting down her terminal.

"When will she get back on her feet, Doctor?

"Within 30-45 days, tops, Ma'am".

"Excellent".

"Excellent?" DNAmy arched her left eyebrow. "I thought you'd won't her awake sooner, like your partner".

"Oh, no," Vivian shook her head, "I'm not as impulsive as him".

"What do you have in mind?"

"We have two pods, Doctor," Vivian summed up their predicament. "Kimberly's in the inner lab's pod. A hard particle hologram occupying the outer lab. Sooner, more than later, Shadow will insist we open her pod. We have a month to find another Kimberly".

"We can't find a lookalike and kidnap her. It'd be immoral. Our only viable alternative is to clone, Kimberly. However, it'd be nigh impossible with her genetic code so messed up right now".

"But, can it be done?"

"Yes… Ma'am," Dr. Hall hesitates ever so slightly.

"Well, Doctor, I don't see the problem".

"Ma'am, it can be done, but it'll be expensive".

Aurora sighed heavily, "How expensive?"

"Very," DNAmy replies curtly. "It could cost somewhere around $2 to $7 billion, depending on what's really going on with her blood".

"Ah, damn," Vivian cursed aloud, knowing the Pact couldn't fund such a massive undertaking. They didn't have the resources available. "What do you recommend we do then, Doctor?"

"It's underhanded, and you may find this distasteful, but we can have Global Justice build our clone".

"Global Justice," Aurora glowered with homicidal rage.

"Dr. Director's started Project Scarlett Rose".

"What's Project Scarlett Rose?"

"The world's more volatile than ever. G.J.'s losing its war on crime. Dr. Director devised a perfect solution, a Kim Possible clone".

"Let me guess, rescue the clone, pass her off as the real deal, and Global Justice would be partially redeemed in the global community's eyes. Was that their plan?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Dr. Hall nodded her head. "We can let them build our clone, then have Kimberly retrieve our property. Dr. Director named their clone, Zahra Wolfe".

"Zahra translated _Princess_ in Arabic. It seemed only fitting their clone have that name. Wolfe would commemorate what she'd already survived".

" However, according to what we know about young Kimberly, she's against cloning. How did GJ accomplish this without alerting her?"

DNAmy smiled. "A simple child's play. They never told her." Enjoying the look of utter shock on Vivian's face, the scientist continued on. "With her connections to GJ, and her status as a junior agent, they could easily acquire her tissue sample."

"Then we should make full use of this opportunity." The blonde said.

"I can't agree more, Miss Aurora," Dr. Hall shared her insights. "We can have Kimberly steal back our clone, then give her a new name, while Kimberly adopted the clone's name. No one will ever suspect what we've done".

"How do you propose we get the ball rolling?"

"My goddaughter's G.J.'s leading geneticist, overseeing this project. We can devise and interject our own genetic matrix through her".

"Contact her, and get things started".

"I will, Ma'am".

Next time, the world becomes worse than ever.


	6. Delusional Reality

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: One month after the attack, Kim remains unconscious, her wounds unable to be attended to. Felix is losing his temper. Vivian is plotting something against his back, with help from Amy.

Chapter 6: Delusional Reality

Her private quarter's com rang. Vivian rolled over in bed grumbling more with each breath. She wasn't really a morning person. Her groggy eyes snapped open, raking her alarm clock, which read 3:27 a.m. She reached over a picked up her Kimmunicator, fashioned after Kim's.

Bio-metric sensors scanned her fingerprints, auto-activating the device. She recognized Dr. Hall's com-badge number, and instantly knew, it must be important. Dr. Hall would never disturb her this late in the wee-hours, unless it was vital. "Doctor," she answered the call, opening her bleary eyes.

"Ma'am, I… I… th…thin…think…" Amy stuttered, ultimately falling silent. Eyes closed, breathing slow and easy, as if trying to recollect her thoughts.

Her timidity and slurred speech weren't the only things which caught Vivian's attention. Dr. Hall was usually so tidy. Vivian noted her matted hair, filthy, disheveled lab clothes, bloodshot eyes, even her pale complexion. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. "Doctor, slow down and tell me what's wrong ".

"Lab. Now," she choked out, killing her com connection.

Vivian jumped up and dressed without delay. She couldn't relax. Her stomach knotted over what she'd done. She didn't betray, betray the Pact. Her actions were absolutely necessary, and would serve to protect the Pact later only. She couldn't ignore the possibility.

Could Felix and the elders have learnt what she'd done? If so, they wouldn't care about motives. They'd treat her like any other traitor, shot by a firing squad, standing against the execution chamber's far back wall.

Vivian left her quarters, heading towards Dr. Hall's lab. Each step proved more difficult, especially when she'd pass a guard on routine patrol. She put on her best poke face trying to stay calm and act normal, while inside, her nerves slowly unraveled, pondering 'what if'.

The short walk between her quarters and Dr. Hall's lab proved the most trying 10-minutes in her life. She finally reached the lab without arousing anyone's suspicions. Outwardly, she appeared like she always did, calm and collected; inwardly, though, her legs trembled so badly, her muscles felt like mush.

Vivian punched her personal access code into the lab's alpha-numeric keypad. The A.I. processed her code, while bio-metric sensors verified her identity. The terminal beeped. "Access granted. You may enter, Aurora Madyson Calderon," an automated voice invited her inside.

Vivian Francis Porter was an international fugitive, wanted dead or alive. Few people knew her past. She seldom used her birth name these days. Vivian shoved these thoughts aside, entering the lab, then resealing its metallic security door behind herself. "Doctor…."

"Thank God you're here," Dr. Hall exclaimed, crumbling.

"What's wrong?" Vivian asked for the third time, probing why she's acting so hysterical.

"Just wait," Dr. Hall accessed her computer keyboard, typing her command authorization code. The same back wall slid open, revealing the lab's interior 250-square foot cryo-lab/OR. Motion sensors detected her presence. Dr. Hall only ventured so far inside, then stopped and pointed toward the cryo-tube, directing her boss' attention, "See for yourself, Ma'am".

Vivian stopped cold gaping, "Who the hell is that?" Her anxieties skyrocket instantly. This sitch was far worse than she ever imagined. Her mind reeled with doubts over what her eyes saw. Kim should be there, but wasn't. Someone else occupied her cryo-tube. And what's more, she was Kim's twin, at least before her mutation.

"You can rest assure, Ma'am". DNAmy discerned her boss' elevated tension and shortening fuse conciliating, "She isn't the real Kim Possible".

"Oh, like I'd never guessed," Vivian snapped incredulously.

DNAmy excused her boss' curtness. She initially reacted the same way.

"Who is she then?"

"A clone," Dr. Hall deadpanned, letting that sink in.

"I know that already, but whose clone?" Vivian closed her eyes, praying for good news, but bracing herself for the worst, given her luck lately.

"Global Justice's," Dr. Hall deadpanned.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive, Ma'am. Dr. Director code-named hers, Zahra Wolfe".

And there it was. The worst news possible. Vivian knew, the Fates wouldn't let up. The sadistic bitches determined to make her life a living hell. "Have you verified this?" She asked one last time, praying maybe it'd alter the outcome, but ultimately didn't.

"Triple checked, Ma'am," Dr. Hall showed her a folder. "I haven't slept in 3-days, checking her genetic markers. And sure enough, I located Global Justice's genetic tag, marking her as their 'intellectual property'".

"If we have their property, and Kim's missing, that can only mean, we had a major security breach and didn't even detect these intruders. Global Justice must've infiltrated our ranks again, and may be planning another attack".

"Global Justice is the least of our troubles, right now, Ma'am".

Vivian dropped her head, cursing bitterly under every breath. Lately, if it wasn't for bad news, she wouldn't get any news, period. She rubbed her nose bridge, asking but still avoiding direct eye contact, "What do you mean by that, Doctor?"

Felix perceived Dr. Hall being Kim's best chance at surviving what she'd suffered. He installed military grade security, making her lab the second most secure place on base, second only to the war room.

Dr. Hall accessed her terminal and splits the scree, pulling up lab surveillance and activity logs, side-by-side.

"See here," she pointed out a single discrepancy. "Lab surveillance showed me asleep in my bed. And yet, activity logs documented me logged into and working at my station".

"Did someone breach your security, Doctor?"

"Yes and no, Ma'am".

"Explain".

A picture was worth a thousand words. DNAmy accessed a second terminal, bringing up lab surveillance, correlating with this incident. A video popped on screen.

"What the hell?" Vivian gaped, again, for a second time. Her mind riddled with uncertainty over what her eyes saw. Dr. Hall's terminal auto-activated, even accessed the Pact's strategic INTEL mainframe, containing their most recent HUMINT, SIGINT, ELINT, even MASINT intelligence regarding enemies targeting their organization.

A good mystery always sparked her interests. And here was one within her own field of expertise, electronics. "Move," she brushed the stock woman aside, intrigued.

Dr. Hall's terminal wasn't automated, nor was anyone seated there, operating the terminal, but something or something clearly accessed the Pact's most secretive mainframe through this single terminal. But how?

Two hours passed in abject silence. The lull closed in tighter like a noose. Her clock's seconds' hand ticked like a temporal time bomb, mocking her more sorely with each passing second, and wearing her already frazzled nerves even thinner.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. DNAmy jumped up, heading towards the exit, but stopped upon hearing Vivian exclaim, "Oh, hell, we're dead, if this gets out".

A fresh wave of concern washed over Dr. Hall. She asked, "What'd you uncover, Ma'am?"

"First, the good news," Vivian tried to lighten the older woman's nerves, "no one breached your lab's security or stole your codes".

Dr. Hall could relax just yet. "But," a couple of questions still bugged her, "what about the surveillance and activity log discrepancies?" And what about my computer terminal? I didn't…"

"Relax, Doctor," Vivian assured the panicking scientist. "I know you didn't betray us, or fabricate Kimberly's escape to cover some nefarious dealing with our enemies".

"Then, Ma'am, what are you insinuating? I'm confused".

"That's understandable, Doctor. I am, too".

"What do you mean?"

"Plain and simple, no one hacked your system. Whoever's responsible accessed the Pact's strategic intelligence mainframe through your computer, using my administrative command override key. In short, they covered their tracks so well. If detected, Felix and the elders would blame us for betraying their trust".

DNAmy sighed with escalating frustrations, running her fingers through her hair. She suspected this breach might mean trouble, but never once imagined it being this serious. "Did you find any suspicious gaps in the data stream?"

"No," Vivian shook her head.

"Any duplicitous, overlapping data streams?"

"No," she shook her head again, but stopped. Her eyes lit up with recognition.

"You thought of something, didn't you?"

"Something," Vivian commented dubiously.

Her boss' doubts couldn't dampen her hopes. "What'd you uncover, Ma'am? Maybe we can use that evidence to save our lives, should this breach be exposed".

Vivian accessed the computer terminal's data stream file noting, "My spoofing program detected anomalous data bits buried throughout the data stream".

"How anomalous?"

"There was a 0.002% variation, why?"

"Can you isolate these anomalous data bits from the overall stream?"

"Easily," Vivian extracted, and displays the data bits as its own data stream.

"Why didn't I see this sooner?" DNAmy exclaimed, slapping her own forehead.

"What'd you see, Doctor?"

"Those aren't anomalous data bits, Ma'am".

"What are they then?" Vivian glowered hard, glancing back and forth from computer to doctor, all the while debating. Electronics were her thing. What'd Dr. Hall see that she missed?

Amy eased the blow unto her boss' ego explaining, "They're qubits, Ma'am".

"Impossible!"

"No, Ma'am, it isn't," DNAmy corrected her boss' misconception. "These anomalous data streams are actually compressed quantum-bits, disguised as binary bits".

"How'd you reach that conclusion, Doc?"

"Didn't you notice," she pointed at the screen, "the data packages' cluster sizes are too big for traditional binary bits, comprising those data streams".

Her mind still screamed, 'Impossible!' Vivian considered the possibility, re-examining the data stream's cluster size. "Why didn't I see this?" She exclaimed in deep frustration.

Dr. Hall missed her rhetorical tone, elucidating her oversight, "Relax, Ma'am. You shouldn't blame yourself. We've grown so reliant upon our computers. And they're so seldom wrong, these days. We seldom question what's displayed on screen. In short, you saw a standard binary bit, and didn't perceive a justifiable reason to doubt this readout. That misconception blinded you unto our hackers' deceptions".

"Why would a hacker do this? It makes no sense," Vivian stumbled over the idiocrasy of this whole situation.

"You're doing it again, Ma'am".

"Doing what?'

"Jumping to conclusions".

"How?"

"We know a hacker breached our security. We assume he/she stole sensitive data".

"Isn't that what happened here?" Vivian didn't grasp the obese woman's point.

"I don't think so," Dr. Hall states her position upfront.

"That's idiotic. Why else would a hacker break into our security system?"

"I don't know".

"Then, what do you know, Doctor?" Vivian started to lose patience.

DNAmy sensed her boss' choler, "I know, this hacker didn't copy any sensitive data or tamper with any crucial defensive systems, like an espionage agent would've done. Instead, this hacker actually amended our INTEL and updated our security systems. I'd even bet, whoever was behind this did all this through my computer's Bluetooth using a neural synaptic link".

"Sonof…" Vivian bit her tongue, pounding clenched fists against the desk. She couldn't believe she'd ever been this gullible. "Why didn't I see the connection sooner?"

"What connection, Ma'am?"

"Think, Doc, think," she tapped her temples. "What do these neural synaptic implants, this q-bit technology, and this breach all have in common?"

"I have no idea, Ma'am," Amy shrugged her shoulders, uncertain what else to answer.

"Kim Possible".

"Kimberly?" Dr. Hall gasped in absolute shock. She still couldn't quite grasp, "How'd she do this? She never left the cryo-lab/OR until she went missing three days ago. Whereas, these hacks trace back over six weeks".

"You're forgetting, Doc," Vivian corrected her distracted companion. "What'd Drakken do, before he threw Kimberly over that cliff?" She trailed off, letting her mind fill in the blanks.

"The mutagen," DNAmy slapped her forehead.

"Exactly," Vivian confirms her answer. "He infused his mutagenic poison with quantum nanobots, which Shego stole from Nu-Innovation Mitogenic Research, Inc., a WEE/HenchCo front company, which specializes in cybernetic and quantum bit tech".

Dr. Hall extrapolated the rest, "You believe, Kimberly heard us talking inside the cryo-lab that first day".

"Yes," Vivian nodded again.

"If she's responsible, what's the objective(s) behind her actions?"

"I don't know. And that'd worry any sane person".

"What do you mean, Ma'am?"

"Think about it," Vivian presented her case. "There are so many variables in play here. We can't possibly predict her next course of action. What, if anything, did she hear us discussing? If she did, how much did she comprehend? Is the real Kim Possible still in there, somewhere? Or has that blue idiot's nanobots rewritten more than her DNA?"

Vivian's scenario opened a controversial train of thought. Dr. Hall shared her theory proposing, "Let's suppose she's even somewhat at herself. I mean, if you're right, and she's behind these hacks, she'd have to retain some base logic and analytic skills. If not, how could she possibly hack her own bio-implants and manipulate them into accessing our systems?"

"She couldn't".

"My point exactly, Ma'am. Wouldn't she, therefore, know we'd have these doubts?"

"Maybe, depending on her state of mind," Vivian again entertained the possibility. "What's your point with this hypothetical scenario, Doc?"

Dr. Hall realized her boss was losing patience amidst this philosophical debate suggesting, "Maybe that was why she hacked our systems the way she did".

"What do you mean by that, Doc?"

"She hacked us in such way. Her intrusion only caught our attention".

"Almost like she'd done on past secret missions,"

Vivian found her companion's logic compelling enough to reconsider her position.

"My point exactly, Ma'am," DNAmy pressed her point further. "That led me to consider. Maybe she arranged these hacks to alert us about her next move, all without tipping the wrong people".

"You might have something there, Doc," Vivian recalibrated her cryptographic program. The crawler sifted the qubit data streams, separating what was originally on the terminal from what Kim added to disguise her qubit data stream.

The cryptographic program worked non-stop for nearly six hours. Dr. Hall and Vivian caught up on their sleep, awakened by the terminal beeping loudly.

"Huh? What?" Vivian snapped unto attention.

"Who's there?" DNAmy groaned, not wanting to wake up.

"Hello, Toothpick, and Cuddles…" Holographic Kim appeared from thin air.

DNAmy and Vivian stared at the hologram with their mouths agape. Nicknames were Shego's pet peeve, not Kim's.

"You're definitely Toothpick," DNAmy changed the subject fast.

"If I am, you must be Cuddles," Vivian japed, pointing right back.

"Excellent". Holographic Kim resumed her briefing, "By now, you've deciphered my clues. If not, you wouldn't be listening from me now. I also realize you're concerned about my elaborated deception. I can't break this news easy, frankness is always best. We have spies amidst us. Global Justice is planning another raid. Only, this time, they don't intend on letting anyone survive this time".

Dr. Hall and Vivian glared between themselves and the hologram, more confused than ever. One question topped their list. How could she possibly know what their enemies' plans? She's been in a coma over two months.

Again. Holographic Kim answered their unspoken concerns, "I heard you talking. And, by now, you've learnt I can tap anything electronic with my neural implants. Well, there's something else you probably don't know. Global Justice captured my sister". Holographic Kim paused, letting that sink in.

"Sister?" Both gasped in complete shock. Worse yet, neither had a clue what she meant. Was it code? Or did she really think she had a sister? If so, who'd she adopted as her sister? A thousand more uncertainties raced through their minds. Only time could answer these questions.

It was like she'd heard their proclamation, and discerned their shock. "Yes, my sister," Hologram Kim reiterated her latest secret. "Don't worry. I got her back. Doc, take care of Kimberly. I have taken her place as Global Justice's captive".

"Oh, shit," DNAmy and Vivian exclaimed, knowing whatever she had planned, it'd ricochet back onto their group. Global Justice and other global law enforcement agencies would come after their members harder than ever.

"Yea, yea, I know it's dangerous," Hologram Kim reacted unto their worry. "For me. And you guys. Alas, it's something I must do. Dr. Director betrayed my sister's trust, and tried to kill her. Why? She wants to create the perfect super soldier. G.J.'s lead scientists chose Kimberly as their prime candidate".

"What does she have planned?" Amy asked her boss.

Vivian shrugged, "I don't have a clue". She shook her head, and rubbed her temples. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Sure, she wanted her life back, and be who she always dreamt to be, a renowned roboticist, respected for her brain, rather than her body.

"Ah, c'mon, you guys," Holographic Kim responded interactively. "Shadow's right, she must pay, or she'll never learn".

"What!" Dr. Hall jumped up, pacing about, ranting under her breath.

Vivian joined her partner, venting her own concerns, "I knew I should've have allowed that idiot to sit here all those hours, shoveling his swill. I figured, what harm could it do? I mean, he was talking to a hologram. I should've…"

"Ma'am, no disrespect meant, but we have a bigger issue now," Dr. Hall interrupted her boss.

Vivian stopped, peeved, but intrigued, at the same time. She knew the doctor wouldn't interrupt her, and risk death unless she had a damn good reason. "Why's that, Doc?"

"I doubt he anticipated the consequences of his actions. But, Master Shadow's ranting over her tube slowly but surely conditioned Kimberly over time. She'd already lost touch with reality. Even our best head doctors couldn't ascertain how much, or if she was still mentally stable.

Her initial MRI and SPECT scans, taken when she first arrived here," DNAmy displayed those images onscreen, pointing towards specific sections of the brain as she spoke, "showed extensive bruising along the amygdala and hypothalamus, both which controlmood, emotion, fear and anxiety, as well pain and pleasure. This type of injury is common among PTSD patients.

My scans also uncovered scarring near the anterior cortex—instrumental in decision-making, the OFC—the brain's hub for processing sensory information, and the prefrontal cortex—impacting temperament, judgment (or perception), and insights into the world around us. In short, any one of these injuries could radically alter how she perceives the world, but all together?

We can't be certain how she'll adapt. Scans taken 24-hours before she rabbited show the bruising and scarring gone, but reveal a far more interesting development".

"What's that, Doc?"

"Her brain's been totally rewired".

"Could this have something to do with her mutations?"

"Most definitely," Dr. Hall confirmed that much, at least. "Her scans matched Shego, G.J.'s brain trust acquired right after her initial exposure unto the rainbow comet's unique quantum radiation. Only, Kimberly's 'comet power' is unique".

"How unique?"

"I suspect her powers are bio-morphic in nature. That'd explain how she could lose then regrow her ankle and wrist without medical intervention. It also means she can alter her appearance, as well as her genomic structure at will. She's become the ultimate weapon. Only God knows what she may have planned to unleash".

Holographic Kim responded unto her inquiry, "Hey, I'm still here you know. Why ask God when you can ask the real thing?"

Vivian slapped her forehead, contemning how low she'd sunk on the social ladder, conversing with a hologram, but asked anyway, "What do you intend on doing, Zahra?"

"I'll execute Master Shadow's plan, with a few modifications of my own. That traitorous bitch must pay. I'm gonna burn down her treacherous organization. And she'll strike the match for us, pleasing Master Shadow. Zahra out?" The hologram vanished seconds later.

"Now what?" Vivian sighed, lost, and unsure what they should do next.

"I don't know, Ma'am," DNAmy refrained from telling her what she should do. "I only know, if she survives, whatever she'd planned, we must play along with her delusion. We must pretend this clone's Kimberly, and Kimberly's the clone. Master Shadow's delusions have made her mental state more fragile than ever. Break her perception on reality and she could be lost".

"Doctor, you'd best start a couple more clones".

"Why?"

"Kimberly, or rather her clone, is the only thing keeping Shadow's head straight. Lose her, and I'd hate to imagine how he'd react".

"Probably come unglued".

"Most definitely doctor. We must prepare for this eventuality, but pray it never comes," Vivian unsealed the door and exited the lab, debating her next actions. Trouble was coming. Her people were in danger. And she couldn't warn them without getting herself killing, possibly even sacrificing her life's work. Many good people spilt their blood building the Obsidian Pact.

Her choice wasn't simple.

Save Kimberly.

Or save her people.

She couldn't do both. It came down to, who was more important? Her people or an old friend. Even she wasn't sure how to answer that question. Her decision would hurt innocent people, regardless what she did. She'd never been in this situation, helpless.

A/N Ouch, so Kim has gone out of hiding, and is executing her plan without an early warning. Would her actions be the end of Vivian's days in the pact, as well as the destruction of both GJ and the Pact?

Do leave us reviews, they are very much appreciated.

Next time: Zahra Wolfe storms Global Justice with style.


	7. Rattling Her Cage

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: Zahra Wolfe overheard what was happening around her, and decided to aid Shadow. She left the Pact medical bay without notice, and retrieved the clone from Global Justice, taking her place instead.

* * *

Chapter 7: Rattling Her Cage

Will Du camped inside G.J.'s CNC, manning his station 24/7. He didn't leave, and ignored what others said about him.

5-hour Energy Bars, Black Insomnia Coffee, and the occasional M3 Energy Drink became his lifeline for nourishment. The coffee contained 200% more caffeine than most brews on the market. Their combined energy boost helped him stay awake and alert during these long hours.

Single, his job came first over everything. Even family and socializing came second. Who had time for a 'social' life? Crime never rests. And lately, neither did he.

Even Dr. Director noticed his actions. He'd always been dedicated, but lately he'd take that devotion unto a different level. Most agents lacked that drive. Maybe that's what G.J. needed during this global crisis.

Will Du still recalled the phone call, which would forever alter his life's course. Driftwood was G.J.'s most reliable informant among the dissidents. The dark Asian-American didn't contact her often. But, when she did, it always meant serious trouble. G.J. couldn't possibly ignore this newest threat. Dr. Director even shared his concerns.

Driftwood alleged, the dissidents wanted revenge on G.J. They'd acquired the schematics for over 100 of their most secure facilities. Shadow, their leader, intended on storming their gates within 72-hours, tops.

Dr. Director reasoned, if their enemy had grown this braze or desperate, as to storm a fortified facility, they'd probably come in full force, ready to die, if necessary. She couldn't risk it. Her job and reputation was the least of her concerns. If these dissidents obtained even a fraction of G.J.'s research, there's no telling what horrors they'd unleash upon the world, or how many innocent people would perish to avenge fallen dissidents.

He'd shut down three cells of dissidents, one operating within G.J. itself, this week alone. His actions earned him yet another paid vacation. Who could turn that down? At least that was what a colleague teased him. Truth was, he could. Oh, he took vacations, but only when forced. Who could relax nowadays? He couldn't, not with dissidents organizing more every day. They'd even formed what'd become known as the Collective.

Hundreds of agents around the world perished to obtain what little they knew about this so-called Collective. Sadly, most of it amounted to mere speculation. Global authorities concurred upon two points.

First, its members comprised confirmed and suspected traitors from around the world. Men, women, and children, all labelled as traitors over backing the Lowardians against their own world, most likely for leniency in captivity. Second, these people were the most dangerous class of true extremist in existence today.

Every agent hunted these people with heavy hearts. They had brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, even good friends among these people. And yet, their superiors ordered them to hunt down and terminate them. And they'd done this on a daily basis for nearly 3-months now.

Will felt their pain. An orphan, he didn't have family. His best friend, though, betrayed his truth, periodically pumping him, then feeding that classified INTEL unto the Collective. He learnt then, these people did what they wanted, when they wanted, how they wanted, damn the consequences. Family, friends, even innocent people we meant nothing. They were only sources to exploit information from or coerce into doing certain things, whatever their objective might be at the time.

What he learnt next deepened that pain. These dissidents cherished intellect, coveting a sound mind even over their own freedom. Logic—not feeling or human decency—drove these intellectuals' treacherous actions. They'd use anyone, betray any cause. Only theirs mattered, everything else was secondary.

Many people romanticized these dissidents' actions. This won them sympathizes occupying various levels of government throughout the world. The global intelligence community, however, didn't share these simpletons' infatuation with these dissidents. They refused to obey global law.

Global authorities labeled them 'global threat,' also attributing their propaganda as being the driving force behind today's global volatility.

Global Justice, hell, even the United Nations, may not know but had a good idea who was responsible. Two names repeatedly surfaced during global investigations: (1) Vivian Francis Porter, a renowned robotics genius at the Middleton Space Centre and (2) Felix Renton, a young genius in cybernetics and electro-mechanics.

Will thought, in retrospect, their actions seemed more justified than ever. G.J.'s behavioral analysts predicted Kimberly Anne Possible—world-famous teen hero, and now G.J. Junior agent—becoming the world's greatest threat.

It didn't take much to convince others. Many within Global Justice feared her abilities. Few could fathom how an ordinary girl could beat a plasma wielding super hero so easily. They'd never admit it openly. They secretly despised the globe-trotting heroine.

They took money from their governments and global community, but seldom able to top the mega-threat like she did. And what's more, she did so without charging a dime. It only costed them a favor, usually a ride. Seldom anything more serious.

She repeatedly did the impossible, just like her motto read. A simple babysitting website snowballed into people asking for help around the world.

Dr. Director also feared the redhead's talents. Every medical test showed an ordinary, healthy girl. Dr. Director knew better. Even so, she opted to exploit these talents. She embraced the old idiom, keep your family close, but your enemies closer still. Oh, Kimberly worked with G.J. at times. For whatever reason(s), she always declined to join Global Justice. Such reluctance only gave her more reason to doubt the redhead's loyalties.

Everything changed, following the alien invasion. Kim recalled how she'd helped people as a vigilante, and imagined she could help more with Global Justice's backing. Betty asked for the millionth time. Kim accepted her job offer.

She quickly became disillusioned with the job. She joined to help people. Yet, her superiors often issued director orders preventing this. Oh, she obeyed for a while, hoping they might change their minds, but never did.

Kim reverted unto her old habits, acting more like a vigilante than an agent. On multiple occasions, she disregarded direct orders, even spurned G.J. regulations. She took her open defiance a step farther. She quit carrying G.J. issued equipment, relying on thing designed and provided by Team Possible's tech genius, Wade Load.

Again, her actions enraged upper management. Wade wasn't a legal Global Justice tech or analyst. Word spread among the intelligence community. Her relying on him more than their techs humiliated them internationally.

Will knew, but said nothing. He wanted to keep his job. His boss feared but idolized this young vigilante heroine. He knew, one day she'd betray them and join the radicals. She'd shared their values for years. They only cared about the mission, like her. Family, friends, even strangers were an end unto a means.

She hadn't reached that point yet. He never doubted, she'd reach that point as she became more disillusioned with society. These murderers didn't care about patriotism, hedonism, lofty political agendas, or serving some archaic deity. No, they sowed chaos, instigating conflict and fighting, then latched onto both sides like leeches and sucks them dry, blood and money.

These dissidents' interpersonal social dynamics proved far more enigmatic. One day, they'd fight among themselves, one clan swearing to annihilate another. And yet, let an outsider attack a clan. Even bitter enemies would unite, drive back their mutual enemy, then go back to fighting and killing one another all over again. And many times, over the most asinine reasons.

These extremists had sympathizers in every walk-of-life. Worse yet, their numbers grew with each passing day. That was how they became today's leading global threat. Global authorities were at a lost. How should they handle these cockroaches?

Will leaned back in his chair, reminiscing deeper about that phone call.

* * *

*Three Days Earlier*

Will Du headed home. He mulled over that day's events.

Agent Possible went missing nearly 3 months ago. Global Justice had long given up their search and rescue efforts. She'd been declared MIA, presumed dead. Alas, the bureaucrats just couldn't let her rest in peace. He'd spent all day, locked inside the GSC Chamber, with Agent Stoppable, answering their incessant questions.

His bosses didn't outright blame any agent, officially. Their pointed questions and hard tones towards him conveyed their sentiment loud enough. The GSC held him responsible for losing a promising junior agent. Even he wasn't sure why they did. Stoppable didn't. What was their justification? Only time would tell.

What he didn't know? These official inquests were for show-and-tell. Nothing more. For Agent Stoppable's benefit, mostly. He had a great power. G.J. needed that edge to win this war. And besides, they didn't want him turning that power against them.

They'd never admit it openly. No one would. Every board member was glad she's dead. In their consensus, Drakken done the world a favor. He'd eliminated a potential threat. No one had seen a trace or heard a single report about the pesky vigilante heroine since that tragic day.

Commander Du arrived home around midnight, more exhausted than hungry. He grabbed a small energy bar, showered, then went straight to sleep. He barely closed his eyes good, when his cell phone rang. Will rolled over in bed, snatched his cell phone off his nightstand, and eyed the caller ID, 'Agent Harragan, Global Justice'.

"Harragan," he dropped G.J.'s chief com analyst's title, "this had best be important. I left explicit instructions…"

"…not to disturb you, unless Dr. Director or another immediate superior tried to contact you," he recited his boss' parting instructions. "I think you'll make an exception here. I have new INTEL concerning the Collective". He fell silent, letting that sink in.

Commander Du bolted up in bed, fully awake in 5-seconds flat, "What about the Collective?"

"You have an urgent caller waiting on Line #4. She'll only speak with you, Sir".

"Why me?" Commander Du grew more suspicious with each passing moment.

"I don't know, Sir. She claimed the code name, Driftwood".

Will Du gasped in shock, immediately recognizing the name. No one had seen or heard anything from her for almost 3-years. She single-handedly exposed the Collective's global threat. Now, she was calling again. Trouble was brewing. If so, maybe she could help them end these dissidents' threat, forever. One could hope.

"Put her through on my cell, but record this call," he ordered their lead com analyst.

"Yes, Sir," he put her through, recording this conversation.

"Commander William Eli Du speaking," Will answered the call. "Driftwood, I presume?"

Driftwood wasn't in a chitchat mood. She jumped straight to business, "Beware, G-Man, they're mobilizing again. Several clans have organized into the Collective. And they'll hit Global Justice within 3-days".

"Are they targeting HQ?"

"I don't know. They've acquired over a thousand major facilities worldwide. They'd intend to hit G.J. where it'd hurt the most. That was Shadow's own words. You have 3-days, and can expect heavy casualties. They do".

"Why would they do this?"

"Oh, how soon we forget?" She scorned his gullibility. "Global Justice hit a camp, shedding dissident blood. Beware, over 1,200 people perished amidst that massacre. The Collective craves retribution. Blood for blood, G-man, Yours for theirs," she hung up the phone. The dial tone didn't end his internal debate.

* * *

*Present Times*

Forget? How could he? He signed up to help people. Not massacre them. And yet, that was what they'd done not long ago. That night remained fresh in his mind. No, he wasn't there. He didn't storm that base. He did, however, provide field logistics. Will stared at the phone, still clutched in his hand. He noticed his hands shaking.

That night still rattled his core. G.J. was the good guys. He had to believe this. Other words, he'd wasted his life, and would be no better than Gemini or Dementor.

He'd camped in CNC ever since. Knowing they'd strike soon. Two questions remain unanswered. When? And where?

Dr. Director shared his security concerns, organizing 'Cold Bane,' a secret think-tank within G.J., chaired by 'reformed, exonerated,' dissidents, who'd rejoined society. They'd lived among these savages, and knew what drove them. Cold Bane and their lead strategic analysts all agreed. G.J. HQ was their primary target. Everything else was secondary.

* * *

Across country, Drakken brewed over his own concerns. He'd barely survived Shego's initial assault, sustaining 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree burns, along with a broken right arm, radius and ulna fractured, humerous shattered, left shoulder dislocated, torn rotator cup, six broken ribs, left lung punctured, right femur in leg shattered in multiple places, and a host of cuts and bruises.

Global Justice's medical staff nursed him back to health, then confined him inside BlackStorm Asylum, a psychiatric facility for treating the criminally insane, built inside an abandoned super max prison. No prisoner ever escaped, oh, a few got over the wall easy enough. Guards didn't bother chasing them. Not even once. Every escapee eventually came back on his own. Mere survival necessitated it.

BlackStorm sat inside the driest, most desolate area of the Forty Mile Desert. Lack of water and edible vegetation deterred even the fiercest animals from entering this barren wilderness. Parched, blood red dunes stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Hardened criminals defied the desert. Numerous did. A few chose death rather than return. Most, however, broke. The desert crushed their defiance spirits. The will to survive took precedence. Most came back, begging the sanctity inside these walls. Sure, it wasn't a nice place to live. At least there was plenty of good and water.

The complex itself built upon a rectangular plot of desert. Enormous guard towers dotted its four corners. An electrified fenced topped with razor sharp barbed wire stretched between the towers, forming the prison's exterior wall.

A virtual no-man's land, ten acres of sprawling desert separated the outer wall from the inner. The inner wall was octagonal in shape, built of solid concrete and crowned with more electrified barbed wire fencing. Five smaller guard towers formed the psych ward's second sentries.

Drakken couldn't believe how things turned out. His plan had been so simple, but brilliant. Kill Kim Possible, and he'd finally earn true respect within the villain community. He succeeded, but earned contempt rather than respect. First, Stoppable dangled him over a cliff, simply to question him about his poison. That was humiliating enough. He was a mad scientist, a super villain, not a sack of rotten potatoes.

Second, his once faithful henchwoman turned against him. Shego beat him so badly. He'll never walk right again. His gimp leg ailed him constantly, no relief. Shego? He swallowed nervously, still sweating profusely, even contemplating what she'd done, or will do, if she ever gets her hands on him again.

Drakken glanced around his cell. This place wasn't so bad, or so he told himself more every day. Oh, who was he kidding? It was a hellacious nightmare, but beat the alternative.

That was why he didn't try to escape. He abhorred dying of thirst in the desert, and have some predator gnaw on his bones, like he would a T-bone streak. And, even if he did survive that, he wouldn't survive 24-hours beyond these walls.

As is, he spent his days and his nights locked inside the isolation ward under 24/7 guard. Even then, there'd already been nine attempts against his life.

He was certain, but simply couldn't prove, Shego personally arranged these hits. She, no doubt, wanted to avenge her fallen Princess. Every suspect named a nurse, doctor, orderly, or some other hospital employee. They, in turn, gave similar stories. A raven-haired woman with green skin hired them to pass along messages unto certain patients. That cinched his suspicions.

Drakken regretted ever meeting the insufferable, Kim Possible. She messed up his life worse in death, than she ever did alive. Shego's fury reached into his soul's depth, as rippling explosions erupted outside the prison. He heard blaring air raid sirens, accompanied closely by automatic gunfire. He couldn't make out much else.

The blue scientist backed into his cell's farthest corner, cowering in mortal terror. His lower limbs lost all strength. He slipped, landing square on his backside. He drew his knees unto his chest, rocking and crying in absolute terror, "She's here! She's here! She's gonna kill me!" His eyes darted back and forth, dreading the inevitable-meeting an enraged Shego on full burn.

* * *

Back at G.J.'s CNC.

One minute, everything was quiet, then serenity gave away to utter chaos. Alarms started to blare, lighting blinking on and off. Even the computers flashed various alerts.

"Mawar, what the hell's going on here?" Will demanded.

"BlackStorm's under attack, Sir," CNC's chief security officer transferred live footage onto the commander's computer.

"What? By…?" He didn't have to finish that last part. Will took one glimpse. He instantly knew who was responsible. Fiery green balls of boiling plasma impacted the northern wall. Aluminium fencing didn't offer much protection. Even the steel barbed wire melted like metallic ice. Each ball burned at temperatures exceeding 1,000oF (or 538oC).

Will pushed back his chair so fast and with such urgency. The wheels locked up, dumping him straight into the floor. He ignored his subordinates' stifled snickers, leapt back onto his feet, then grabbed his laptop, and raced outside CNC. He made a beeline for, barging into his mentor's office.

"Commander?" Dr. Director greeted this interruption.

"Ma'am, forgive my intrusion. Trust me, it was necessary. Every second counts. I think the Collective finally chose its next target".

"They have?" Dr. Director doubted they'd act this soon.

"Yes, Director, they have".

"Where?"

"BlackStorm Asylum".

"What?" She yelled, booting her computer, not waiting on his reply.

"BlackStorm Asylum," he reciprocated his answer, amending. "They're after Drakken".

"Pftt!" Dr. Director scoffed his naivety. "Those separatists aren't there to spring Drakken".

"Why then are they there?"

"Commander, really!" Dr. Director couldn't believe his credulity. "Have you forgotten about the lab we built beneath that prison?"

"Rainbow's End?"

"Yes, Rainbow's End," she nodded. "You can bet, Commander, they aren't after lab equipment or our research".

"What then are they seeking?"

"Not what, Commander. Who?"

Will caught onto what she meant, "Possible's clone, Scarlett Rose".

"Can you think of a more strategic target?"

"Why her?"

"We created her to win sympathy with the public. She'd expose Drakken and Shego's collaboration with the Collective, recounting how they ambushed her team, faked her death, then tortured her for information about Global Justice.

Even her partner eventually gave us hope. Global Justice didn't. We found and rescued her. The world will get their hero back. Most importantly, Shego would get her Princes bac. In turn, we'd have the world ultimate bio-weapon at our fingertips, to use against these separatists. It'd be a win-win. For Global Justice.

The NSC and GSC would also probably give us an executive order to terminate these dissidents by any means necessary. That'd be the perfect opportunity to unleash our ultimate weapon, Shego teams with Kim Possible. No one would stop them.

The collective knows that would forever seal their fate. If, however, they rescue her _**from us**_ , she can paint us as the villains. They'd gain more sympathizers, even our own superiors, and they'd crack down harder on us. It'd be a win-win. For them, instead of us". She picked up her phone dialing a secret contact.

"Rainbow's end," a feminine voice responded after the third ring.

"Sawhorse, this is Snapshot. I need you to activate Scarlett Rose". Sawhorse was Dr. Arabella Kim's code name. She was DNAmy's secret goddaughter, also G.J.'s lead geneticist on Project Scarlett Rose.

Sawhorse stipulated why she couldn't comply, "Scarlett's awoke, howling mad, Snapshot".

"Where is she?"

"Trapped inside the inner lab"

"Trapped," Dr. Director scoffed. She'd get out wherever she desired. "Patch me through the lab's holo-projectors," she orders G.J.'s lead geneticist.

Sawhorse complied, glad to let her boss handle this problem. At least, if something went awry, Dr. Director would take the blame, and not her.

The lab's holo-emitters came online. Dr. Director's life size hologram materialized inside the lab.

Zahra spun around. Palms lit. Eyes sharp, eyeing the hologram, snarling, "Who the hell are you?"

"My name's Dr. Director. I'm your Creator…"

"As in, My God?" Kim arched a brow, playing the confused clone.

"Me, Your God? No," she shook her head. "Your master?" Dr. Director turned all serious. A deep smirk spread across her face. "Most definitely, Young Lady," she chuckled seditiously.

"I don't bow unto anyone," Kim punched the hologram. Her fist passed and slam through.

"I don't want you to bow," Dr. Director excused her random act of violence.

"What then do you want?" Kim snapped, she didn't wish to play this sadistic bitch's head games. Alas, it was the only way she could complete this mission.

"Dissidents are attacking my lab. I want you to stop them," Dr. Director relayed the clone's first assignment.

"Why should I?" She queried, flashing Shego's defiant smirk.

"I'm your boss," Dr. Director shot back, unable to let this go. Let her get by challenging her authority. Subordinates would lose respect, continuously questioning her authority. She'd let Possible do this, and nearly lost control over G.J.? Never again!

"I'm not your puppet, Bitch," Kim retorted, swiping her hand, symbolically cutting her own strings. "Do it yourself!"

"Willful like Shego, hey? Good. Let's see if we can awaken Agent Possible's sense of duty in you," G.J.'s head rotated her watch face counterclockwise, pressing two buttons simultaneously.

Kim collapsed on one knee and grabbed her head screaming in pain.

Dr. Director released her watch buttons quipping, "Believe me now?"

"About what, Bitch?" Kim shot back, her plasma flaring, eyes filled with homicidal rage, all directed towards her.

Dr. Director didn't flinch stating dryly, "You belong to us. You're Global Justice's intellectual property".

"I'm not a thing to be owned. Go to hell! " Two plasma bolts shot from her eyes. Her camera exploded moments later.

Back at G.J. HQ. Inside Dr. Director's office.

"Well, that's certainly new," Will commented offhandedly.

"Indeed," Dr. Director preened over G.J.'s creation exceeding Shego power development.

"Shouldn't immediately terminate this clone?" Will questioned his boss' decision to create this damn abomination, stronger now than ever.

"Not yet, Commander," she tempered her young assistant's impulsivity.

"But, Ma'am, it's too willful. We can't control it".

"Keep in mind, this clone is part Possible and part Shego".

"Which means what exactly, Director".

"Shego always balked at doing what she considered good, but would when necessary. Possible was her polar opposite. She'd hesitate but use force when circumstances warranted".

"Which will this clone do? Good? Or bad?"

"Neither," she deadpanned, clarifying. "She'll do what's necessary to survive. That's her primary programming. She doesn't serve ulterior motives. She lives to survive. Period".

"I pray you're right, Director," he commented, exiting the lab's surveillance and zeroing back on the prison's perimeter.

"Why do you have doubts, Commander?" Dr Director asked he agent.

"Let's just say, I may've abhorred her total disregard for procedure, but did respect Possible's keen resourcefulness in a pinch. She'd made a top agent, if only she'd followed procedure. Shego, however, was always a wild card. Scarlett may be Possible's clone. She also part Shego, and quite willful, as you just saw. That makes her dangerous and unpredictable. I don't see us rattling her cage without us eventually losing control and she rattling ours".

"Relax. We won't, Commander," Dr. Director calmed his fears. "She may deny, even fight against the inevitable, but knows unequivocally, I'm her master. I could end her with a simple flick of a switch. She'll serve our purposes, then we can dispose of her permanently".

She, too, turned back towards, watching the computer screen in pure awe, unprepared for what she saw.

Elizabeth Director might had been Scarlett Rose's creator. She never really understood her creation's full potential. This near-sightedness blinded her against the truth. She wasn't wrestling with her clone creation.

In reality, Betty created another automaton years earlier. She'd molded and shaped the young redhead's mind and attitude, creating a far more dangerous weapon almost a decade earlier.

* * *

AN So here's a note from me, tohsaka fate. Sorry to say this, but there will be no updates starting tomorrow until next Thursday, Malaysian time as I'm having term finals next week. But rest assure, on the day I finish my exams, next chapter will be up and running.

Next time: Kim storms the facility with full rage, with help from …?


	8. Storming The Gates

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE & NWILSON1

Previously: All hell broke lose at GJ top facility. Suspect? Shego.

Chapter 8: Storming The Gates

Dr. Director tried but failed to assert her dominance. She unknowingly pushed her ex-protégé too far. Kim decided to push back, and hard. She couldn't hit G.J. directly. It'd not only be virtual suicide, but, far more important, ruin their chances to win sympathizers among G.J's own staff, internal councils, and global backers, as well as jeopardizing Master Shadow's future plans.

True, she was only a clone, in disguise, but still a genetic copy of Master Shadow's true soulmate, the world-famous, globe-trotting heroine, Kim Possible. She also possessed the heroine's skills and insecurities. She must reach beyond these shortcomings, if possible. Hence, she opted to release her bitterness against Rainbow's End, while making Global Justice, and especially Betty, look guilty in doing so.

Betty Director was many things. Predictable wasn't one. She did, however, have certain rules she must obey. Don't, and she could lose her directorate. That was where she'd get her revenge. It'd take time, maybe even years, but she'd lose that chair.

Kim signaled her army.

Top ground, tower guards manned their posts, not daring to budge, while the majority of the inside guards rushed into the yard. They, too, wore full body armor, doubling as their riot gear. Assault rifles shouldered, firing where these projectiles originated.

They'd spent over 5,000 rounds. And yet, their combined firepower still hadn't halted or slowed this enemy's advancement. Plasmatic projectiles descended with piercing cries. Luckily, most missed the towers, detonating upon impacting inside no-man's land, between the outer and inner walls.

Guards gritted their teeth in bitter wrath, knowing. Their enemy hit hard and fast for a reason. This assault taxed but didn't overwhelm the prison's guards. This enemy mocked them openly, letting them know. They'd temporarily spared them to wallow in their own despair. They'd end them when ready to crush their lives like bugs.

Explosions intensified, as blasts drew close unto the inner gate. Each blast erupted with a thunderous boom. The concussive waves hurled dust, rock, and other debris in every direction. Boiling plasma washed over the desert bed, leaving behind miniature craters and crystalized black glass.

A few plasmatic RPGs exploded against their electrified gates. Aluminum fencing metaled like hot wax, while the resulting concussive blasts hurled warped, jagged steel barbed wire shards and crumbling concrete like tiny ballistic missiles towards them, as guards went down in increasing numbers. That still didn't stop or slow this onslaught.

How'd they respond? As always, they assumed numbers would turn the tide. More bodies would give them an edge, regardless who they were up against here. More guards piled into the yard. A few braver ones ventured into no-man's land. Assault rifles shouldered, firing into the thick. These plasma balls lit up the night like emergency flares. Guards peered intently into the sparse light, but saw nothing. Their enemy taunted them worse, hiding somewhere amidst the shadows, but still close enough to coordinate this assault.

Even nature mocked them sorely. The flares would ultimately go out. And darkness would close back around them. The shadows moved in closer, would strike, and strike hard, then retreat again. It'd happened so many times, so fast. It was done, and over, before the next plasma ball would light up the night again. Only, their enemy wasn't anywhere in sight, always lurking nearby, watching, and waiting for their next opportunity to strike.

Guards' armor provided good protection against most airborne projectiles. Rock, pebbles, sands, even sticks, leaves, branches, and other debris bounced harmlessly off their armor plating, as did most metallic and concrete shards, barely leaving a bruise. Every guard swallowed his/her pain, standing his/her ground against impossible odds.

A few shards propelled at the right angle and speed pierced their protective gear every now and again. The next fragment of shrapnel burrowed a little deeper with each successive impact into the compromised area.

Guards did the best they could to avoid projectiles. That, however, proved to be impossible, as various size shards assailed them left and right from all directions. Albeit, they had more pressing things to worry about, like plasma.

Guards from the lab below knew only one woman, who wielded such powers. Hell, many helped guard the scientists studying five youths, back then. Shego's mutation captivated their lead scientists.

The guards called this mutation, the 'curse of the comet'. Yes, she wielded plasma. These powers brought nothing but misery into the woman's life, even spilling over into the lives of those around her.

They'd been around, and studied her powers long enough. They couldn't put their finger on what. But knew, something was off about her powers. If this was Shego, she'd have shown up by how. She always made an entrance, reveling on the masses' fearful reaction over her green skin and glowing body. That left one question. Who was behind this? Really?

The guards didn't have time to debate this question. The enemy stepped up their attack. Each projectile started to detonate with increasing force. The ground beneath their feet shook so violently. They could barely stand upright, let alone fight. Making matters worse, each ordnance spewed plasmatic tidal wives, littered with serrated shrapnel.

Guards instinctive dove trying to avoid serious injury. Most succeeded, barely getting singed by the outlying heat. A few weren't so lucky. Plasma washed over them. Their armor quickly heated up, and became more pliable under intense heat, even shrank, molding itself around the wearer's body, squeezing him/her tighter.

They screamed in escalating agony, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, while slowly roasting alive inside their own armor, like a Dutch Oven. Their agony lasted mere seconds; the memory endured.

Boiling plasma ate through their armor, even dissolved their skin, leaving little behind but charred bone fragments. Surviving guards retreated towards the inner wall. Most, sadly, don't make it back safety.

The area between the inner and outer wall soon littered with more corpses. Most charred beyond recognition. Again, the enemy taunted their surviving preys' deepest fears. These bodies reminded them what awaited all those who stood in the Collective's way.

The dissidents again stepped up their assault. Plasmatic projectiles came from every direction at once, marrying the night sky overhead, leaving fiery tails behind like a comet through space. The guards started to genuinely panic, hearing these plasmatic missiles' piercing rumble. Outmanned, now outgunned, it wasn't fair. This fear invigorated them to hasten their pace and survive.

A plasmatic RPG breached the northern tower's base. It'd already taken heavy damage during the first wave. Each tower had its own miniature armory. In emergencies, the guards assigned there could readily obtain weaponry without venturing into harm's way across the exercise yard and crosswalk high above.

This precaution worked against them, this time. A descending ordnance easily perforated the outer wall, outside the northern tower's armory, and detonates inside. Surprising, the tower's payload didn't blow all at once. Some blew in singles, while bulk went up in chain reactions.

Both events yielded the same result, amplifying this warhead's yield, as well as causing more structural damage. Tower walls gave in certain areas. Boiling black smoke and fiery miasmas spewed outside these breaches, climbing the exterior wall.

The tower's reinforced interior walls contained the rest. The blast had no place to go but upwards. Those trapped atop the tower trembled worse with each reverberation, praying for the best, but bracing for the worst.

Their hope dwindled more as concussive waves slowly demolished the last barrier standing between them and certain death. The last wall finally fell. Guards threw their hands up, all screaming in mortal terror. Black smoke clothed them head to toe like a burial shroud. Fiery miasmas swept over, silencing their screams forever.

These dissidents grow weary over toying with their prey. Plasmatic projectiles continue to fall, but with improved accuracy. More detonated against the tower's exterior wall than ever. Cracks crept up the wall, cracks growing wide with each explosion.

The tower started to groan with fatigue. Several more projectile pummel its exterior. Magnified concussive waves spread the crumbling tower's debris over the battlefield.

Guards still trapped in no-man's land screamed in mortal terror, as pebble to boulder size debris crashed down around them, crushing some to death, injuring others. Surviving guards didn't stop or turn around, as this battle turned bloodier. Their pace spurred by the peers' dying shrills.

Metallic and concrete shards, as well as boiling plasma and other debris already assailed them left and right. Now, fragmentation ordnances started to detonate overhead, pouring more shrapnel and fiery plasma atop their heads, too.

One outer tower was down. The enemy concentrated their firepower on the remaining three. RPGs fell like raindrops, locked upon and detonating against their outer walls. Each tower grumbled harder with each direct hit. Cobweb cracks snaked up and down the columns, growing wider. The southern tower fell, followed closely by the eastern and western towers.

Again. Pebble and boulder size debris mixed with shrapnel and plasma flurries raining down atop those below. Guards collapsed faster than ever. Some impaled with various projectiles, while others were downright eviscerated.

The accompanying plasmatic waves left behind, reducing non-living matter into ash and living to piles of scorched, brittle bones. The ground shook more violently, pelted by plasmatic RPGs and various debris. Desert sands and black smoke coalesce, shrouding the area in darkness.

Back inside the control center, beneath BlackStorm Asylum.

Kale Serrano, chief of lab security, accessed perimeter cameras scanning the terrain roundabout the asylum. His eyes bulged with anticipation, noticing burly silhouettes lurking amidst the dust cloud and getting closer. He imagined, one thing merited such force, dialing a certain lab.

"Dr. Kim here," DNAmy's goddaughter shouted over rippling explosions. Top ground blasts prove so potent. The reverberation worked their way into her lab's deepest recesses, rattling everything in sight.

"Doc, how's Scarlett Rose?"

"Awake, Sir".

"Awake? How?"

"Snapshot released her, Sir".

"How'd she reacted?"

"She's fiery mad, Sir".

"Get up here, immediately".

"I'd love to, Sir, but I can't".

"Why not?"

"Scarlett Rose fried my lab's link with the base's communications array".

"How then are we communicating?"

"I'm on my malfunctioning portable com unit. I can receive but not make any calls. That's why I haven't alerted anyone, until now. I couldn't, Sir. Plus, she used her plasma to weld my door shut. Someone must release me".

"Where is she?"

"Gone. Snapshot assigned her to turn back those attacking the asylum".

"Well, she's isn't helping. At least, not us. Again, I ask, where is she?"

"I honestly can't…" Her portable com unit started to beep. A red light flashed atop the power console.

"What's wrong, Doctor?"

"My com unit's going dead. I have less than 30-seconds of power left. Don't worry about me. I suggest, you search for Scarlett Rose. She's pissed off and roaming free somewhere on base. Who knows what damage she's prepared to…" Her com unit went dead, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Sir, I think you should see this," a tech accessed perimeter cameras zooming in closer.

"Oh, shit," Kale gasped in shock, over what his eyes saw. "Get guards topside! Now!"

"Sir, we already have teams up there".

"Put more feet on the ground, or we're all dead! Is that clear enough, Lieutenant?"

"Crystal, Sir".

kpkpkpkpkp

Back at G.J.

Dr. Director joined Commander Du inside CNC. Com techs accessed the closest recon satellite, patching its imagery into the overhead monitor.

"I'll be damned," Will shared Kale's concerns.

First, plasma. That screamed Shego. Scarlett Rose wielded plasma, too. Alas, she didn't have access unto synthodrones. "Shego!" Dr. Director cursed her own gullibility. She had her inside her apartment. And what'd she done? She let her walk away just like that! Never again! Never!

"Shego? What does she have to do with this?"

"What are those damn things?" She piped, pointing towards the view screen.

"They're synthodrones," he ripostes.

"Nearly one hundred. A small army, don't you think?"

Will read between the lines. He pieced together what she meant, but couldn't quite grasp a single point, "Why would Shego massacre our people? Do you think she's after Drakken?"

"To kill him? Maybe. Free him? Never! You didn't see hear her brokenness, Commander. She isn't the same Shego. Possible's death didn't something unto her. And it wasn't for the good. She swore she wanted him dead, as in D-E-A-D, over killing her Princess".

"Director, I still don't understand. How would massacring our people avenge her Princess?"

"Think, Commander! Think!" She stressed he listen attentively. We know, Shego loved Agent Possible, correct?"

"Yes".

"Agent Possible's dead, correct?"

"Yes".

"And what do we have?"

Again, he pieced together what she meant. "Oh, snap, you think she learnt about Scarlett Rose. She can't have her real Princess. So, she's settled for the next best thing, correct?"

"No, Commander," Dr. Director shook her head. "It's the exact opposite. Shego abhorred the idea of someone cloning her. Somehow, that clone would depreciate her value, stealing her uniqueness. She grew up a no body. People walked past her without a second glance. That changed after the comet.

Possible shared her contempt of cloning. Drakken did it once. And you saw how badly she beat him up the next time she stormed his lab. Now, Possible's dead, and can't do anything about us cloning her. Shego can. She won't stop, until she's uncovered who's responsible. If G.J., she'll burn us unto the ground. We must convince her the dissidents did this".

kpkpkpkpkp

Back inside the subterranean lab.

"Sir, security confirms Director Merrill's dead".

"Dead? How? When?"

"When? Security found his body about 10-minutes ago. How? A fiery projectile pierced his heart, cauterizing the entry point. We also have a com breach in progress," his com officer briefed his boss.

"Have you identified our compromised systems?"

"Whoever's behind this accessed and copied everything we've accumulated on Scarlett Rose, and did the same with the asylum's records concerning a patient, code named Blue Boy".

"Drakken," he mumbled to himself. "Shego must be behind this insanity".

"Alvarez, have security work on locating Scarlett Rose," Serrano instructed his deputy chief of base security.

"What's going on, Sir?"

"Snapshot activated Scarlett Rose. She's lose, somewhere on this base, and might be assisting Shego and these dissidents during this attack".

"Why would she do that?"

Serrano stammered, unsure how to answer, except, "She wouldn't, unless she somehow retained her counterpart's memories about the accident".

"DeJesus, get Snapshot on this line".

kpkpkpkpkp

Back inside G.J. CNC.

"Director, you have a Directorate-8 call from…Rainbow's End".

"Patch them through," she ordered her com officer.

Only Serrano and Director Merrill could've initiated that call. "Director," she tested a hunch.

"Director Merrill is dead. I'm temporarily in command. My name's Security Chief Kale Serrano. I understand you activated Scarlett Rose".

"I did," she offered no apology.

"Why wasn't I informed, Snapshot? Regulations…"

Dr. Director dropped her head, sighing heavily, while inwardly cursing the irony here. Every day, she worked with a snot-nosed, by-the-book punk, who fancied himself as G.J.'s best, boasting how regulations addressed every situation. She wouldn't put up with another, "Don't quote regulations unto me, Mister!"

She may be G.J.'s boss. She wasn't his. He was in command here. "Lady," he truncated her title, "you released this nightmare! This is your fault!" He shot back.

"My fault!" Dr. Director took exception unto his accusations. "What'd I do?"

Serrano didn't have to respond. Dr. Director's own com officer did. "Dr. Director, we have a cyber breach in progress".

"Where?"

"It originated at Rainbow's End, Director," her TAC officer insinuated Serrano's betrayal.

"What's the meaning of this attack, Chief?" Dr. Director confronted him directly.

"Me? We didn't…" His line went dead and screen blank without reason.

"Hayes, get him back on this line! Now!" She ordered her senior com officer.

"I can't, Ma'am. He didn't simply deactivate Rainbow End's communication array. I could easily reactivate it using your administrative override. He blew it p entirely, Director. However, they still have a secondary com array. It's not as advanced".

"Is it operational?"

"Yes, Ma'am".

"Good. Get him on this line".

"I can't, it's offline, manually disconnected from the array".

"You mean, they're receiving but purposely ignoring my calls".

"Yes, Ma'am," Hayes nodded his head.

Will double-checked a lingering suspicion. He ran the chief's name over the top-secret project personnel database. Sure enough, he gaped over what his eyes read. "Director, I think…" He was intent on exposing these dissident's latest cell within G.J.

Only, rippling explosions erupted inside CNC. Terminals explode, inside outwards. Monitors shattered into a million pieces. Glass shards propelled with lethal precision by concussive shock waves.

"Director, if these explosions breach the coolant tanks," Mawar warned her, "CNC will go up like a bomb".

She didn't argue with her chief of security ordering, "Everyone out".

Everyone jumped up without ado. All wondering, what took her so long.? Sadly, everything happened so fast. Most didn't get two steps. Power surges hit overhead lights. Florescent bulb exploded, as violent electrical sparks and more glass shards rained down around them. Light fixtures snapped loose, swinging back and forth, dangling from a single wire.

Flying debris came at them left and right, killing nearly thirty techs within seconds. A dozen or more laid injured, impaled by various sized debris throughout their bodies. Each living victim rolled back and forth, wailing in excruciating agony.

Dr. Director, Commander Du, nor anyone else stopped to help their downed companions, simply stepping over their fallen and straightway making their way towards the nearest exit. The chaos spread more as rippling explosions collapsed sections of the ceiling. Large and small chunks of solid concrete injuring and killing more G.J. personnel.

G.J. constructed CNC using steel reinforced concrete bunker-style walls. Rippling blasts worked their way behind the walls. Released energy didn't have anywhere to go. Pressure continued to build and amplified with each successive blast, also hastening these concussive waves trajectory towards the coolant tanks and power matrices.

Every man and woman uninjured and still on their feet hasten their pace, again leaving their fallen companions where they lay. Crossing the threshold safely was their only hope. Fail, and they're all dead. The ceiling gave one last groan.

Dr. Director, Will Du, and the others knew it was now or never, diving across the threshold. Every man and woman landed flat on his/her stomach, covering his/her head. Explosive energy snaked its way behind the wall, like conduits, ultimately breaching the coolant tanks and power matrices seconds later.

The cataclysmic explosion completely decimates what's left of CNC, as well as leveling three nearby chambers and spreading several floors above and below their point. The chaos subsides.

"Now, what were you going to say, Commander?" Dr. Director questioned his pointedly.

"I was about to suggest we'd been betrayed".

"By who?"

"Records indicate, Serrano initially opposed Project Scarlett Rose. I must point out, while this may seem suspicious, neither he nor his family have any previously known ties with this Collective. That, however, doesn't negate one possibility".

"What's that, Commander?"

"Director Merrill noted, Serrano violently opposed the project, then one day withdrew his stern opposition, even requested the Chief of Security post at Rainbow's End. Maybe he relented his cause, just so he could potentially one day turn our own weapon against us. I mean, he did simply hang up on us moments ago, and refused to take our callback ".

She didn't say anything right away, adjusting her watch's faceplate counterclockwise, pressing the same buttons she had earlier. This time, nothing occurred. She jumped up, boiling mad, yelling at him, "I want Serrano and that clone dead! Upgrade Shego's threat level to Omacron Theta. All agents have orders to terminate her on sight". She headed towards her office.

kpkpkpkpkp

Back inside Dr. Kim's lab. Inside the subterranean base.

A wall behind shrilled unlike anything she'd ever heard. Dr. Kim whipped around, gasping in shock. Her wall glowed cobalt blue. The metallic plating expanded and retracted as heat built up inside the molecular bonds. The glow only intensified with each passing moment.

Dr. Kim backed away in terror. The same wall exploded seconds later. The shock wave knocked her over. Metallic plating shards and other debris soared past overhead. Dust and smoke spread in every direction, but quickly dissipated. Her eyes adjusted unto the sparse light. She gasped in shock riposting, "Scarlett?"

Kim waltzed into the lab, followed closely by more synthodrones. One even carried Drakken, heaved over its right shoulder. "The name's Zahra Wolfe, not Scarlett Rose".

"How do you know this? I haven't activated those memories yet," Dr. Kim eyed her creation very uneasily. Several minutes of silence passed between them.

kpkpkpkpkp

Back at G.J. HQ.

Dr. Director raced back into her office. Eyes locked on her computer. A few keystrokes and this would be over. No one would learn Scarlett Rose ever existed. She'd have the last laugh, best yet, could always try again later. Her victory was short-lived, however.

Her cell beeped, displaying Rosebud's text message. Rosebud was the military medical facility on an abandoned Nevada naval base. G.J. used its climate controlled 35-ton medical vault to store Kim, Shego, and her brothers' bio-metric samples. She opened the text message, losing all complexion. The text read, "All samples in transit unto the Pavilion like you requested, Ma'am".

Dr. Director dialed her contact direct. She didn't wait on, 'Hello'. The receiver picked up the other end. "Dr. Carr," she fought to stay calm, though boiling mad inside, "what's the meaning of this text about my requesting you move my bio-markers?"

"Director, you came into my office…"

"The hell I did," she abdicated his claim.

"Forgive my curtness, Director. I have you on surveillance video, Ma'am. Care to see?"

"That won't be necessary," she had more pressing issues. "Where are my samples now, Doctor?"

Dr. Carr accessed his computer, linked into the transport's qualcomm, and easily triangulated its approximate location. His terminal beeped, displaying a satellite map. "The transport carrying your samples is on Washington State Route #20, crossing Deception Bridge Pass, heading towards Deception Pass State Park". His image disappeared off screen, replaced by satellite footage, tracking the transport's position.

"Did you at least send….?" She didn't finish her question. Her eyes spotted an X-45 attack drone swoop below the cloud above. Weapons hot and locked on target. The A.I. fired without delay. Dr. Director closed her eyes. Four AGM-176 Air-To-Ground Griffin missiles thundered towards the transport.

The first missile impacted a major support column. Rippling concussive blasts spews water and concrete particles high into the air. The second missile scored a direct hit. The road beneath their convoy started to crumble, bit-by-bit. Foundation compromised, the bridge titled more to one side, forming deeper set micro fractures, which grew wider with surging structure stress levels.

The third projectile took out the trailing guard vehicle. Its detonation crippled two more SUV, as well as ultimately compromising whatever support the bridge had left, spewing more concrete, water, and smoke high into the air. The bridge hung mid-air for precious second. The fourth missile accelerated its destruction. The truck, bridge, and everything else plummeted below, as thousands of gallons of water rained down atop them, sealing their watery graves.

Dr. Director lost it, accessed Rainbow End's fail safe system, and stared to type furiously.

kpkpkpkpkp

Back at Rainbow's End.

Dr. Director pushed her.

Kim pushed back.

Now, Dr. Director retaliated with raw vengeance. She didn't' care who might get caught in the crossfire. She only cared about terminating that clone.

kpkpkpkpkp

Back inside Rainbow's End.

Light flashed. Alarms blared. Electrified titanium blast shields dropped over every exit. Power surges coursed through the security system, frying every alphanumeric pad. The A.I. rejected even senor officer's personal access code. They were so busy trying to save their own lives. Security didn't seem interested with her unauthorized presence inside the lab.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" Kim asked in a hushed tone.

"My guess, Dr. Director initiated the base's self-destruct sequence, and sealed every possible exit," Dr. Kim dropped her head, losing all hope.

"That's what she thinks," Kim sneered, with an ace up her sleeve. She formed a plasmatic cocoon around herself. The cocoon grew brighter, crackling fire plasmatic electricity. The cocoon finally dissipated, and Kim emerged, sporting giant hawk wings. She extended her right hand urging the doctor, "Grab my hand, if you wish to live and come with me".

"I don't have a better option," a trembling hand grasped hers.

A synthodrone heaved Drakken over her shoulders.

Kim encased her passengers within a plasmatic force field. She then activated her plasma on full burn, shooting upwards. Her body's temperatures exceeded several thousands of degrees. Solid rock melted into sludge. Kim bored her way through solid rock, burst through the top soil, and took unto the sky over the prison.

The base's timers hit double zero. Rippling explosions spread over the subterranean facility, even breaching the armory. The reserve ordnances along with volatile chemicals amplify these rippling explosions' destructiveness. The blasts occurred so fast, and so close together. A blast didn't have time to dissipate, before another erupted.

Underground pressure built beneath, like a subterranean pressure cooker. Miscro fissures crept along the topsoil, spreading faster, and growing wider, as the pressure reached critical under the rocky lid. Black smoke and flames shot up through their fissures, until topsoil gave way. A crater formed, swallowing the prison, sucking everyone—prison and staff—into the inferno beneath. Fire shot several miles into the air.

kpkpkpkpkp

Back at G.J. HQ.

Dr. Director surveilled the destruction. She'd won, gloating over her victory. Her celebration cut short, however, when her eyes caught peripheral movement. She zoomed in her satellite, gasping in utter shock.

"Scarlett Rose!" She screamed irately, realizing she'd been played again. Scarlett Rose used her own rules and regulations against her, then added insult to injury, by having her destroy her own lab. Her taunt deepened by destroying her samples. Now, she couldn't create another Kim clone.

While always humiliating, losing really wasn't that bad. A quitter was the only real loser. He/she refused to learn from his/her mistakes, damning himself/herself to repeat the same mistake again. At least, that was what she'd told herself for years. Now, she wasn't so sure.

She didn't simply lose. She lost…unto a clone. Her own creation. A clone she thought she had full control over. All her plans laid in ruins. Kimberly Ann Possible gone forever. Her place taken by this abomination.

Dr. Director bit her lower lip and brought her fist down to her desk with an angry scream. It was all over now. There was no way for her to mend things.

Sure, she could collect samples from her family, then create a replacement. They, however, lacked her prowess, aptitude, and instincts Kimberly did. All traits necessary to be good at this job. Any clone created from their genetics would never match Scarlett Rose's intuitiveness.

Kim vanished in thin air. Dr. Director even lost her satellite lock. That wasn't the only thing she lost. Betty picked up and tossed her computer slam across the room, then stormed outside her own office. She needed to think.

It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. She knew, somehow, someway, this day would come back to bit her in the bass. She'd bet it wouldn't be that far in the future. She couldn't shake that feeling. And her instincts were seldom wrong.

Zahra wasn't there. Dr. Director could hear her taunt already, 'When that day arrives, you'll wish you'd die that day, just like you prayed I would".


	9. Taking Root

Chapter 9: Taking Root

Eight and half months passed since Zahra's grandiose escape. Dr. Director barely kept her job in the aftermath. Her bosses knew about her creation. The puppet overpowering her masters. It was the ultimate humiliation. They'd be laughingstocks among Global Intelligence, if this ever came to light.

She couldn't believe the turn of events, which'd led them here. So much had gone wrong that day. Her plan was so simple. Simple always worked best. The smartest always trip over the simplest details.

The GSC, G.J. 'Shadow Committee,' spent $400 billion building Rainbow's End, then millions more creating the perfect soldier. Her bosses were content losing her, the lab, and their creation, if it'd end these dissidents forever. They'd been nothing but thorns in their sides. For years. And they'd risked everything at Dr. Director's behest.

Now? Now! They wished they hadn't. They lost their lab, countless prominent scientists, leading financial and political backers, including their own creation. Making matter far worse, they'd been exposed and their reputations assassinated within global media.

One fact stung deepest of all. The dissidents tricked them into blowing up their own bio-markers. Meaning, they can't create a replacement clone to combat this one. Capturing Shego soothed her bosses' wrath, some. She became their ace in the hole. Even their clone couldn't stand up against this walking hellcat.

They all knew. Zahra may've escaped. For now. But, she'd be back, hitting them hard and fast to deliver G.J. a decisive blow. The questions were, when? And where? Her core objective was clear enough. She'd already started to beef up security in preparations.

Dr. Director already offered a $1 million on the clone's head. Her bosses didn't think it was enough. Reasoning, these dissidents were a close-knit community. An informant would need proper incentive to betray their 'core values'. $5 million sounded like a nice round number.

She didn't argue with her boss. Chairman McCarthy upped the bounty $4 million more, then contacted their agency counterparts throughout the world. American CIA, Russian GRU, German BND, Australian ASIS, Indian RAW, even British MI-6, Israeli Mossad, and Chinese MSS combed the four corners, drawing a blank canvas.

There had been no signs of the two women, who now topped the U.N., NATO, and the Warsaw Pact's most wanted. Global authorities knew their suspects didn't perished amidst the attack at Rainbow's End, despite what the evidence said otherwise.

They'd timed this operation so precisely. No one doubted their intentions. Zahra meant to destroy the lab and her people. It was the only place where authorities could learn about an exploitable weakness.

Now? Her creators are dead. Their lab and records destroyed. No one else knew enough about her creation. And what little they did know didn't pose any justifiable threat.

Her bosses demanded she find and terminate these women. Immediately. Dr. Director didn't argue. Even she realized the global threat both women posed. Dr. Vivian Porter was by far the smartest woman alive. Scarlett Rose was the muscle, twice as dangerous as Shego ever was.

Global Justice, along with their global counterparts, combed city-by-city, house-by-house, even scouring the countryside, mountains, and deserts roundabout their cities. And still nothing. No matter what tech they employed, global authorities couldn't locate a hint as to where Earth's greatest threats might be hiding out.

Dr. Director reached a few simple conclusions by this point. Conclusions, that'd upset her bosses. First, Zahra and Porter couldn't do all this alone. They had help, inside help. Two loners couldn't possibly elude a global manhunt without attracting some kind of attention, which they hadn't. Someone tipped them about authorities' every move. Anonymous tips poured into the call center. Both women and their dissident group were gone, before they arrived at their latest base camps. They'd always leave behind some asinine, demeaning note.

Second, they needed help, someone who knew the criminal world, inside and out. And she knew a prime candidate. Bets knew, if global authorities couldn't locate two women, her people would never locate Shego unless she wished to be found.

No, she needed to smoke the mercenary out of hiding but under her own terms. It'd give her the illusion of control. The trick was, make her mad enough, so she'd personally seek her out, but not so irate, she'd kill her, rather than listen to reason.

It was a risky and unsanctioned move. Any number of things could go wrong. She'd spent the last year working out the finer details about how she could accomplish this. Luckily, Agent Possible's memorial service was coming up.

Mayor Flynn Maxwell decided to host the ceremony. Middleton was the fallen heroine's hometown. Shego would be there. Missing this memorial service would desecrate her Princess' memory. Plus, the plasma wielder's presence might smoke out their primary target, Scarlett Rose.

That'd give G.J.'s strike teams another shot at terminating this global threat. If they failed, Shego could handle their mutual problem. However, this'd only work if they could somehow unmask this clone. Shego would surely recognize the striking similarities, and know immediately, someone cloned her Princess.

An abomination wielding her own comet powers would anger her bad enough. But, this odious creation resembling her Princess would really stoke the coals of her rage. Even if she initially failed, Shego wouldn't rest until she'd terminated this twin apostate with her Princess' face. That was only her first hurdle.

Dr. Director knew, this next one would be far more challenging. Shego may listen unto, but would never believe anything she said. An independent source, someone not even remotely tied with Global Justice or its counterparts, must confirm the truth. These dissidents stole G.J.'s blood samples, from where they tested Shego's family years earlier, when the Rainbow Meteor struck, cloned her Princess, then turned their creation into the ultimate bio-weapon.

Betty wasn't delusional. She knew, even if by some miracle her plan succeeded, Shego would never join Global Justice. There was too much bad blood between them. At least, she'd work under her aegis. The thief's cover necessitated Betty maintain the NQA-kill order on her ever so reluctant undercover agent's head.

Who knew? Maybe it'd give the thief more credibility among these dissidents? If so, she'd have an easier time infiltrating these dissidents, then terminating this abomination and her creators, over what they'd done unto her Princess.

For now, she must abide her time. Three weeks. That's how long she'd have to wait. Her timing must be impeccable. Initiate her plan too early and late, and this endeavor failed. All pieces must be in place.

Three weeks could pass fast enough. Dr. Director grew more anxious with each passing day. If all went well, she could potentially end two leading global threats, and permanently destroy this vile Collective. But only if things would go according to plan this time. She couldn't risk anything going wrong. Not even a bit. It was too big a risk, and she couldn't risk having these two fugitives slip through their fingers again. She'd redeem G.J.'s name.

The anticipated week finally arrived. Dr. Director picked up her landline setting her plan into motion.

"Rodolfo Hale," G.J.'s head Medical Relations Specialist answered the opposite end.

"Hale, Dr. Director. Set Operation Spellbinder into motion now".

"It shall be done, Director," he hung up. Rodolfo called every news outlet in the world—print, TV, radio, internet, even gossip blogs. He even resorted to backdoor tactics. Word about Kim Possible's commemoration ceremony spread around the world.

Shego heard about Dr. Director's NQA-kill order. Global authorities or a lone vigilante could shoot her on sight without fearing prosecution. She didn't know who she couldn't trust anymore. Her world ceased to make sense… long ago. She retreated into seclusion, hiding among the Desolation Islands, a French overseas territory, hidden from civilization deep in the Indian Ocean.

This place wasn't a random location. She might've worked for, but never really trusted her ex-boss, Dr. Dimwit. She always knew, like everyone else she'd ever met, he too would betray her sooner or later. Hence, she built a safe haven in the last place Drakken, Senor, Hench, nor global authorities would ever think to look here.

And it was true. They didn't. From aerial or water, the island looked like a desolate floating rock, anchored amidst the Indian Ocean, off Africa's eastern coast, nearest Antarctica. It had sparse vegetation and wildlife, but wasn't inhabited. Global authorities didn't give the island a second glance. A creature of comfort, she'd never hide here. It didn't match their brainiac's criminal profile.

Oh, she still got regular updates on global events. A secret antenna concealed amidst the island's desolate rocky domain received regular French broadcasts. She go was inside her control room, located 600-feet below surface when s he caught Dr. Director's latest broadcast.

"In late breaking international news," a brunette French anchor smiled into the camera, "next week marks teen hero Kim Possible's commemoration ceremony. It was roughly a year ago, Drew Theodore Lipsky, a.k.a. Dr. Drakken, drugged then threw her over a cliff into the icy Colorado River. Search and rescue dragged the riverbed and banks for miles in every direction, but never located her body.

Not surprisingly, local, state, federal American authorities, along with international counterparts declared her MIA, but presumed dead, and gave up their search and rescue efforts a few months ago. Her partner and family soon lost hope as well. All conceded she was dead. No one seen or heard from Ronald Eugene Stoppable since.

Much debate still surrounds this commemoration ceremony. Topping that list, will her partner attend this year's celebration? What about her family? Close friends? High School and college classmates? Or possibly even her enemies? Growing concerns over public safety and considering what happened unto Miss Possible led this reporter to contact Middleton's own mayor, the driving force behind organizing this ceremony.

He assured me and you, the public, my viewing audience, stating, "This commemoration ceremony is a family orientated event. Every man, woman, and child's personal safety are my top priority. For that reason, local and state police, along with federal agents, and Colorado National Guard, as well as Global Justice will be on scene".

That last part sparked my interest. Global Justice never involve themselves in private affairs, unless there's an imminent threat. I contacted Global Justice inquiring about their reason. Rodolfo Hale, their Media Relations Specialist, shed some light on their concerns, "Global Justice Special Agent Ronald Stoppable captured his partner's murderer, shortly after she went missing.

Federal courts sentenced him unto an asylum for the criminally insane. A month ago, in a myopic twist of events, seen here," surveillance outside Rainbow's End comes up on screen, "a 5'5" green skin woman with raven hair and crimson streaks interwoven and wearing a red and green catsuit stormed Rainbow's End Asylum.

Authorities couldn't readily identify the assailant responsible, until cameras showed her wielding raw plasma. Global Justice's own Commander William Eli Du, Senior Director Betty Director's right-hand man, identified the culprit as none other than Shego the notorious cat burglar".

"What!?" Shego's temper boiled over. Raw plasma crawled up both arms. She vent ed her frustration, blasting a cavern wall. Solid granite melted like butter. Shego turned her attention back towards the small computer screen.

"Authorities aren't sure why. While Agent Stoppable did arrest Dr. Drakken, other sources claim, this madman's own ex-partner in crime, the very woman seen here springing him from Global Justice's custody, less than a year ago, nearly beat him to death with her bare hands.

When asked, if true, why would she help him escape? Commander Du shared something quite unexpected. It'd seem, the mercenary/thief has secretly loved her nemesis for years…" Shego lost her temper, blasting the computer screen to smithereens.

Shego didn't give a damn about this G.J. facility or the pawns working there. Faking her plasma signature and destroyed her own lab simply to frame her. Bets had gone too far.

" That's it!" Shego huffs to herself. "G.J. and Cyclops must pay for what they've done!"

Shego's tirade wasn't an isolated reaction unto this news. Scarlett Rose currently resided halfway across the globe inside the Pact's latest base. She, too, was watching this same newscast. "Hmm, a commemoration ceremony," she rubbed her chin grinning.

Vivian stood in the corner, quietly observing. She detected a familiar undertone. Kim may have lost her memory. A part of her was still in there somewhere, coming out at times, like now. The heroine only used that particular undertone once. How could she forget it? Kim used it right before kicking Shego into the collapsing control tower.

Somehow, she felt intimidated by the woman. Even without her plasma back then, Kim Possible was a formidable, damn-near unstoppable force.

"So, what're you going to do?" She asked the dreaded question.

"Expose Betty Director for the murderer she is," she screamed back, powering up and blasting the television set, before storming off.

"Oh, boy," Vivian sighed heavily, knowing better than to follow with Kim in this mood. She was certain, whatever Kim's Scarlett Rose persona had planned, it didn't bode well for those families who'd attend her commemoration ceremony in Middleton next week.

She worked on the heroine, trying to temper her actions, minimizing the casualties. Kim finally yielded. Vivian walked away, proud even with what little she'd accomplished. In truth, it wasn't anything she'd said that dissuade her wayward friend.

Kim had an epiphany, realizing. First, harming even her worst enemy would desecrate the late heroine's memorial service. Second, any aggression would give Global Justice's propaganda against the Pact more credibility in the public's eyes.

Thirdly, and by far her most radical revelation yet, she deduced the Pact had grown soft. That was why they stood idly by while global authorities slaughtered their people every day. What worse, Global Justice led this genocidal charge.

Zahra could see one solution. It was radical, maybe even deplorable. Alas, it was their only resource. The Obsidian Pact as they knew it must be destroyed, and a newer, more formidable Pact erected amidst its ashes.

Alas, she couldn't start this process. Any action of her part would only exacerbate the tension among their factions and ignite a civil war. No, she must trick G.J. into triggering this process. Her closest supporters knew, sacrifices must be made—even innocent lives— if they're to achieve this higher and nobler cause.

That was why blaming Global Justice served their agenda so well. Everyone knows, no secret remains hidden forever. All secrets eventually come out, sooner or later. This one could undermine everything they'd worked to accomplish. This way, even if exposed, their followers would blame G.J., and never suspect them.

The Pact could fade into history. Global authorities and the public will forget about this accursed organization and its core objectives. Zahra and her people wouldn't. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes , the Collective would be reborn and operate amidst the shadows, until ready to arise again. By then, they'd heave leaders willing to do what's necessary to protect their people.

The blessed day finally arrived without much ado. The commencement ceremony was about halfway over when Middleton Mayor Flynn Maxwell took the stage for the last time. Stomach pitted, his eyes raked the dais and crowd.

A part of him was glad it'd been so quiet. And yet, he couldn't relax all the way. He'd lived here long enough. Something told him it'd been too quiet, especially for Middleton. He drew a deep breath, sensing the tension, but suppressing his own. He didn't wish to exacerbate the situation.

He grabbed the podium addressing the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, we're gathered here today to honor one of our own. She no longer dwells among us, killed in the line of duty. May we always remember the name, Kimberly Ann Possible, and embrace her example. She perished doing what she loved most, helping others.

We're here today for three major reasons. First, her family and partner realize, it's customary to wait 7-years before having a missing loved one declared dead. Alas, it's with heavy hearts they symbolically lay the deceased to rest. James and Anne Possible thought it only befitting you, the public, should share in this solemn event, since we all were such an intricate part of their daughter's life. Let's all bow our heads in a moment of silence".

A solemn silence gripped the audience. Some stunned, others unsure how they should feel. But all knew what they should do. All bowed their heads.

This solemn moment last ed less than 30-seconds. And yet, each second seemed like an eternity. Mayor Maxwell shattered this solemnity spiriting, "We're also gathered to dedicate this statue". He nodded. An aide pulled a string unveiling a life-sized marble statue, standing nearly 9-feet tall, depicting the heroine in her iconic mission clothes and fight stance. "We…"

Six cobalt blue fireballs brought everything to a grinding halt. These projectiles converged from every direction at once. Their trajectory and time of impact coordinated so precisely. Maswell's aide barely spotted them and dove off the stage in time.

All six fireballs shattered the glass dome surrounding the statue. The bolides impacted with such force and close together. The statue didn't stand a chance, despite its superior craftmanship. Tiny cracks spread up and down the statue. The crackle of reverberating explosions worked their way into these fissures, prying them farther apart, and spreading the statue's pieces upon the four winds. These balls' plasmatic fires burned with such intensity The heat alone reduces these fragments unto sludge in mere seconds of exposure.

"She's here! She's here," Dr. Director screamed into her walkie-talkie.

"Who? Shego? Or Scarlett Rose?" Her lead sniper inquired about his teams' targets.

"Both, Iverson," she deadpanned, explaining.

"How? Our instruments don't detect Shego's quantum signature or Scarlett Rose's tracker".

"I'm not surprised. Instruments are hackable. Stay sharp and rely on your instincts. They're here. Shego will stay back. Scarlett Rose has something she wants the public to know. She'll make a guest appearance. Let her. We need to draw Shego into the open. And Scarlett Rose is our bait".

"What then, Director?"

"Your snipers will terminate both targets with extreme prejudice," Dr. Director condemns both global fugitives.

"Remember. Take single shots, only. If you miss either target, retreat and we'll regroup afterwards. Don't, and we're all dead". She kills the connection.

Julio Iverson, her head sniper, amended her orders, "Wait until both the clone and thief are in the open, then take them down. Together. At the same time. However, if the clone gets too close, take her down, even if Subject #2 isn't within visual".

Ron heard Dr. Director's orders. He didn't agree. Objective wouldn't do any good, except possibly getting himself labeled a dissident, too. He couldn't help Kim then. He jumped up and glared around the stage. Eyes open, and ears sharp. He'd grown up a lot since Kim's apparent death. He wasn't a bumbler any longer. He now took his training very serious.

He didn't know what Dr. Director had planned. She'd never share, even if he asked. Why bother? Whoever she was, Scarlett Rose caught his attention. Not only did Dr. Director want her dead, he couldn't discount the possibility. Maybe she knew where Kim was.

For Ron, this ceremony—playing the grieving boyfriend/partner—was all show-and-tell. He'd repeatedly called, but the Lotus Bloom wouldn't return unto him. That and Master told him, Kim was Bloom wouldn't leave her side. He didn't know what'd happened unto her. All he cared, Shego was his key to getting her back. He couldn't let Dr. Director kill her. Ron discerned the impending attack, but didn't try to protect himself. He knew, Scarlett Rose wanted Shego alive, just as badly as he did. She'd protect the plasma wielder, if necessary. A cobalt blue plasma bolt hit him square in the chest so hard. The impact lifted him off his feet and propelled him over three rows of honored guests' chairs. He slammed headfirst into the large backstage banister, crashing through and landing on the ground out cold.

Zahra had an epiphany of her own. Guns and knives won't win this war. She needed to bait G.J. in front of a live audience. The masses would blame them over what'd happen here today. "Kimberly wouldn't approve of this madness! " Zahra shouted, shimmering into full view, wearing her red and green catsuit.

Dr. Director smirked. Phase One completed. She'd drawn Scarlett Rose into the open. Dr. Director initiated Phase Two. She'd distract her disgruntled creation through idle conversation or what not, while somehow removing her mask, whereby drawing Shego into the open, too. Easier said, than done.

Betty jumped up, signaling her head sniper and his teams in the process. "Scarlett Rose," she rasped, identifying their target.

Kim stirred the pot, spitting venom, "I hate that name. My name's Zahra Wolfe now. Not Scarlett Rose".

Dr. Director didn't care. A clone wasn't a person but personal property in her book. She quickly expressed her bitter contempt spitting, "Why are you here, Scarlett?"

"The name's…" She shot back venomously, flaring her palms.

"Fine," Dr. Director rolled her eyes. She reiterated the same question with slight change, "Why are you here, Zahra?"

"Same reason you are….to honor my hero, Kimberly Anne Possible".

Everyone there gasped in stunned silence. No one expected her answer. It virtually rendered Dr. Director speechless, too. She was unsure how to respond, except to disparage her claim asking, "What does a dissident know about honoring a fallen hero?"

"More than you might think, Director," Zahra shot back. "Kimberly taught us much. She…"

Years ago, G.J. recruitment was down. Kim's face helped attracted younger agents. Young people ceased to view G.J. as some antiquated dinosaur with stuffy, nearsighted leaders. Now? This dissident linked her name and face, and inadvertently G.J., too, with these dissidents. Local and national media snapped countless photos, even recorded what this traitor said.

"Impossible!" Dr. Director discredited her outlandish claim. Tarnish the redhead's reputation and, alive or dead, it'd sink G.J. forever. "I know her family and friends".

"How well?"

"The SSC vets every candidate, before joining Global Justice. Kimberly wasn't an exception. We probed her family and friends' past and found no connection with terrorist groups. There's not a snowball's chance…"

"And yet, she went on missions, met new people every day. Your people couldn't possibly have kept track of everyone she'd ever interacted with. That was impossible. He administrative tech, Wade Load, tried but failed".

"What are you insinuating, Young Lady?" Anne Possible couldn't remain silent, while this young woman aspersed her late daughter's reputation.

"Insinuations leaves room for doubt, Mrs. Possible. I'm downright saying, this sacrilege you call a memorial service only serves to desecrate Kimberly's memory".

Dr. Director started to worry. She hid her inward insecurities very convincingly. Her nightmare had come true. Her own creation had become self-aware. She inconspicuously adjusted her watch's ornate faceplate counterclockwise, pressing the same two buttons to terminate this clone. Again, nothing happened. Dr. Director realized a skilled surgeon must've removed her implants.

"Dear God, you dissidents will say or do anything to win public sympathy, won't you?" She tried to sway the global media. She couldn't let things go any farther south than they already had.

"Would you do any less, Director?" Zahra didn't give her a chance to lie more. "No," she replied for her adversary, "you'd go farther. Every day, G.J.'s media relations specialists spreads your lies about to cover up the truth".

"Truth? What truth?"

" Even now, Director, you refuse to admit G.J.'s culpability in Kimberly's death. Do you really think a thin piece of paper—an arrest warrant or NQA-kill order—can survive the flames of my fury?"

"What about my Kimmie-Cub's death?" James Possible demanded an answer, and wouldn't back down, even under her austere leer.

"Ask her, she knows but won't share the truth," the clone singled out Dr. Director.

"Director?" James and Anne turned their unspoken question towards their daughter's ex-boss.

"I assure you both," Dr. Director lied with a stone-face, "I have no idea what she's talking about".

"I'm sure you don't," Zahra quip ped sarcastically, casting doubt over the woman's assertion. "Let me ask

you this, Mr. and Mrs. Possible…"

"All of you," she glared around the audience. "…Would Kimberly help a dissident?"

Dr. Director boiled over with anger. Again, her creation linked G.J.'s poster girl with traitors, marring G.J.'s reputation. She couldn't possibly answer, 'Yes'. It'd only garner these dissidents more credibility and support. "No," she deadpanned, having no other choice.

"Yes, she would," the Possible twins countered the conniving woman's claim. They knew their sister. She was ready and willing to help anyone, dissident or not.

James and Anne Possible didn't like the scenario forming in their minds. James voices their joint concerns asking, "Are you saying our daughter was targeted…" He couldn't complete that thought, too choked up with emotions.

Anne picked up where her left off, "…by her own people?"

"Yes," the clone didn't leave any doubts.

"Preposterous," Dr. Director denied her charges against Global Justice.

"Is it?" Zahra met her creator's challenge, "Answer me this, Director. What were the parameters of Team Possible's last mission?"

"Seek out and stop Drakken and Shego," she stated the parameters without wavering.

"Liar! Here," Zahra handed her some paperwork.

Dr. Director's good eye rakes an in-field report. A special recon team dug up INTEL alleging Drakken and Shego joined the dissidents. She'd vetted and deemed the source credible, even upgraded Drakken and Shego's threat assessments unto Omacron Theta, but relented after what happened with Possible. She knew she'd need Shego's help to ends this Collective. Dr. Director couldn't chance her exposing her decision. It'd ruin everything, possibly even turn Shego's full wrath against G.J., rather than this Collective. She inconspicuously turns over her heart-shaped locket, similar to Kimberly's.

Iverson received his signal. There'd been a change in plans. She couldn't wait any longer. They'd have to take out Subject #2 later. He readied his snipers

ordering, "Fire!"

A single shot rang out. A .308 round bore into her right shoulder. James and Anne Possible acted on instinct alone, threw a son each unto the ground, and covered their children with their own bodies. They'd already lost a daughter. They didn't feel like losing their sons, too.

Zahra barely flinched. Her right shoulder jerked back. The wound healed almost instantly, only followed by two more shots pelting her chest and four more in the back. Again, she barely flinched despite shot multiple times. Those wounds also healed without leaving a scar.

The crowd panicked, screaming in terror, fleeing in every direction. The masses were so scared, and stampeding. Stronger individuals trample their weaker, slower audience members underfoot, and didn't glance back. They'd grieve their actions later. They only cared about surviving. For now.

G.J. did what she needed most. Zahra snapped her fingers. A plasmatic dome enveloped the dais. Various caliber rounds rebounding off her protective barrier, ricocheting in every direction. Men, women, and children went down under a hail of gunfire. Their blood only spurred this mob to stampede faster.

"So," Kim took one last dig at G.J., "you'd rather kill innocent people than let me disclose the truth behind Kimberly's death".

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Dr. Director screamed over her ear bud. Various caliber slugs and laser shots couldn't breach the clone's dome. She was like Shego. Bullets dissolved upon contacting its plasmatic aura. Oh, their first shot drew blood. Alas, her wound healed in mere seconds, whereas Shego's would take minutes.

Dr. Director didn't relish getting caught, possibly even killed, in the crossfire.

Ron woke up a few minutes earlier. He'd hid in the shadows listening attentively. He couldn't stay quiet any longer. The blond monkey master stepped into the open probing, "What do you know about her death? And why should you care?"

"I care, Monkey Boy," she snatched off her own hood, "because I'm her clone, crossbred from Shego and Kim Possible".

"Created by who?" A voice thundered from the shadows.

Zahra turned around, greeting by the jade toned thief. "Why should I bother naming my creators? It'd be a waste of my time and yours. Your cynical nature would refute whatever I say. So, I'll do us both a favor, and give you a single hint. Search out the area indigenous unto the Scarlett Rose. There, you'll find what you seek, and learn my origins".

A plasmatic aura settled over her whole body. The cocoon crackled with plasmatic electricity. Everyone nearby backed away, unsure what she was doing. Her body absorbed the cocoon. Huge fiery hawk wings sprouted out her back. She shot into the air, faster than a jet engine. Snipers trailed her upwards firing. Various caliber automatic rounds pelted her plasmatic shield dissolving into atoms.

Betty trailed Subject #1 until out of sight. She turned back around. Subject #2 was gone, vanished into thin air, while Subject #1 distracted her, her agents, snipers, and local authorities.

"Director," Ron adjured sternly, "what'd she meant you're hiding the truth behind Kim's death?"

"I don't know, Stoppable. These dissidents will say or do anything to win sympathy for their next cause, while undermining civil authority".

Ron noticed she abdicated his title, 'G.J. Special Agent Second Class 1'. That alone assured him she was lying. He couldn't charge her directly without getting innocent people hurt. "I believe you, Director," he lied point-blank, like she'd just done.

She relaxed a bit. At least she still had one solid ally. She'd need that when the board gets done reviewing what transpired here today.

Her relief was short-lived. Ron stole her reprieve amending, "Director, beware if you're lying to me, Yamanouchi will probe this matter. If we find anything to support this dissident's claim, and can prove you had any hand in harming Kim, I'll personally ensure your board prosecutes you unto the full extent of international law".

Ron stormed off stage, leaving her and Kim's family stunned. He knew she was alive, but couldn't answer a single question. Why didn't she seek him out? Maybe authorities targeted her, preventing this. Either way, he'd help whether she like it or not. Ron vowed, his face set in stone.

Meanwhile, Kim's seeds continued to take root, spreading like weeds among G.J.'s ranks and other global intelligence agencies. G.J. lost several prominent law enforcement endorsements as well as some very powerful politicians. Her bosses weren't the least bit happy. All agreed without further ado. They must terminate this clone. Immediately. Followed by her dissident backers.

Chairman Kaia Rosa knew how. Dr. Director would be the perfect pawn.

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Please, do drop us a review or something to let us know how we are doing. Every single input is very much appreciated.


	10. Ending of An Era, Part 1

KIM POSSIBLE: LOST IN THE DARKNESS

AUTHORS: TOHSAKA FATE, NWILSON1

Chapter 10: Ending Of An Era, Part 1

Dr. Director dreaded the board's reaction. She never imagined this. Chairman Kaia Rosa and her committee members declared a state of emergency. Armed agents lined the halls leading into and the committee chamber's interior.

What really worried her, these guards caught her within their crosshairs, marking her every move. Something told her, whether she left this chamber alive or dead depended on how she answered this committee's pointed questions. "Sir, what's going on here?"

"Director, some damning allegations have been lodged against you".

"By a dissident," she denigrated the charges.

"That may be true," Chairman Rosa understood her contempt. "Usually, I'd never defend a traitor over one of our own. Fact is, she's a dissident with enormous support and compelling evidence, all against you, Dr. Director".

Her boss didn't have to expound what she meant. Dr. Director had played this political game far too long. She read between the lines deducing relatively easy. She wasn't Scarlett Rose's only victim. She held damning evidence on some very powerful people around the globe. No doubt, their usual fixers tried but failed to terminate this abomination and recover her evidence.

Hence, they resorted unto what they do best, coerce someone else into doing their dirty work. All politicians lived by one golden rule. Never get your hands dirty. That was why her boss arranged this _emergency_ briefing, to back her into a corner, making sure she had as much to lose as they did, then issuing her an ultimatum she couldn't refuse.

Like it or not they'd appointed her as their next _unofficial_ fixer. Dr. Director certainly knew this job's written and unwritten rules. That gave her a heads up on most candidates. She simply needed to know one thing, "Madam Chairman, what do you need me to do?"

"Find and terminate this clone…"

"That should be easy enough".

"…and make sure whatever evidence she has never sees the light of day," Chairman Rose amends her last orders.

"How do you propose I accomplish this, Madam Chairman?"

"What do you mean, Director?"

"As said, I can draw out and terminate this clone easy enough. Destroying her evidence will prove far more difficult".

"And your point is?"

"Every law enforcement and intelligence agency in the world has tried and failed miserably at finding these dissidents' new base".

"Except Global Justice," Chairman Rose boasted, then turned sour again. "If you'd done your job last time, we wouldn't be in this fix now".

And the truth came out. Her bosses and their constituents blamed her over this Collective's head leaders surviving. "What are my orders, Madam Chairman?"

"Terminate this clone and destroy her evidence. If destroy these dissidents' base is the only way, then do it. You have 72-hours, or else," she jumped up and nodded towards her head guard, before exiting the chamber, followed by the other committee members.

On cue, every guard cocked his/her weapon. All took aim.

Dr. Director closed her eye, awaiting the inevitable.

Every guard fired in-sync. Their hammer clicked and gun discharged.

Only, nothing happened. No bullet tore through or muzzle fire burned her flesh. Dr. Director got her boss' message loud and clear. They'd used blanks this time, next time it'd be real ammo, should she fail this mission. She left the chamber visibly shaken, but determined to succeed.

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Betty couldn't sleep, tossing and tumbling. Who could blame her? She rolled from bed and started towards the kitchen, thinking. Maybe some warm milk might help her slep. She didn't get outside her bedroom. Her phone beeped, displaying a text message.

She dreaded but read the communique anyway. Her heart skipped a beat and eye palpitated in pure terror reading, "24-down, 48-left". Bets knew she'd be warned. A subtle reminder, if you will. Her bosses basically gave her 72-hours to live. Erase their problems or they'd erase her. Permanently. It was slim at best, but finding this dissident cell's base was her only hope.

Betty sat her phone down, shoving these concerns aside. She exited her bedroom, headed down the hall and into the kitchen. She ignited the right, front eye, grabbed a 32-oz pot, opened the refrigerator, and poured roughly 12-ounces of milk inside. She placed the pot over the burner. It didn't take long. The milk was warm but not scalding.

Betty poured her beverage into a medium size coffee mug. She picked it up enjoying the warmth against her skin, especially on these cold Colorado nights. She brought the cup to her lips, taking a sup.

"So, is what she said true?" A voice reached outside the shadows.

Betty jerked in surprise, nearly spilling her milk, but thinking. She must be getting old. She didn't detect an unauthorized presence in her own home. "Who's there?" She demanded.

"Me," Shego stepped into the open. "Now, answer my question, before I barbecue your ass!"

Betty knew she meant every word. She'd heard the unsettling truth. Hell, the whole world had. Scarlett Rose, a.k.a. Zahra Wolfe, was Shego and Kim Possible's clone. The striking resemblance was impossible to miss. That abomination never got around to exposing G.J., thank God. This mission was still salvageable. "Global Justice did control the lab…."

Shego's temper flared hotter than ever.

"But," Dr. Director tried to temper and redirect its volatility, "we didn't start the lab".

"Explain," Shego gave the woman one shot.

"Rainbow's End Asylum was a relative new facility with the latest countermeasures, specifically designed to incarcerate and keep master criminals behind bars. The board felt sure Drakken would never leave there alive".

Shego never liked stories growing up. She always felt like she was getting strung along. She lost her temper firing a plasma bolt past the old woman's head snarling, "Get to the point!"

"Fine," Betty yielded, having no alternative. She knew she couldn't lie. Shego would detect the least bit of deception. She'd have to use the lying truth. "We thought the operation was legit. A dissident informant code named Driftwood contacted us…"

"Who is this Driftwood?" Shego spat back with considerable doubt.

"We don't know," Betty shrugged her shoulders. "She claimed, a dissident cell known as the Pact had taken control over Rainbow's End, and intended on recruiting the master criminals housed there. G.J. moved in and stopped their plans. We tried to offer but she declined our reward".

"What does any of this have to do with that clone walking around with Princess' face and wielding my powers?" Shego started to heat up again. Just thinking about that _thing_ made her blood boil. _It_ drawing breath desecrate her Princess' memory. She wanted to end _it_ and whoever created this abomination. She didn't care if it was G.J. itself. She'd tear it down brick-by-brick, if she must.

"More than you know," Betty replied somberly, taking a seat behind her table. "It isn't public knowledge. I could get into serious trouble sharing this INTEL with a civilian".

"Don't snow me, Cyclops," Shego stayed alert, sure this wily bitch was pulling something, but unsure what. Sit down or one misplaced step, and it'd be curtains for her. She's the one who issued the NQA-kill order. "Knock off the drama, and stick with the facts!"

"Very well," Dr. Director sips her milk continuing. "Official reports say, G.J. stopped whatever these dissidents had planned. Truth is, we didn't. We only delayed their plans".

"What do you mean?"

"Driftwood was right. A dissident cell, calling itself The Pact, funneled the funds necessary to build Rainbow's End through various charities, government grants, even outright loans. Another unsettling truth, the Pact did recruit those madmen and madwomen".

"How?" That was all Shego could muster to ask.

"You must've heard Rainbow End was destroyed last year".

"Yea," Shego nodded, not giving away too much. "What about it?"

"We within the intelligence community hid another unsettling truth. Death records state over 300 of the world's leading master criminals perish in that incident. Truth is, they escaped, while their clones perished amidst that missile attack".

"What?" Shego gasped in shock, abhorring the apocalyptic them running through her head. She recalled some of Dr. D's cataclysmic plans. She found her voice again adjuring, "That still doesn't explain Twinkle Toes, Director".

"A year earlier, this same cell broke DNAmy out of Silver Shield…"

"G.J.'s most secretive prison?"

Her head snapped up so fast. Shock and wrath etched across her contours. Dr. Director quickly regained her composure nodding, "Yes".

"What'd they want with her?"

"Care to sit down," she gestured toward the chair across hers. "This part won't be easy to hear, Shego. It's gonna upset you…"

"Don't worry about sparing my feelings, Bets! I'm a big girl! Just give me the facts!" Shego didn't move an inch, still on guard with palms lit.

"As you wish," she relents, continuing. "Drakken confessed under heavy interrogation. He created multiple embryonic clones…of you".

Shego loses her temper. Raw plasma crawled up her right arm. She brought it down with such force. The blow cracks Dr. Director's solid oak table like kindling. "What about these clones?"

"They were so unstable. We had to destroy them all. We believe Scarlett Rose may be unable as well. And that's why she broke DNAmy out of Silver Shield. When she couldn't stabilize her genetic matrix, Scarlett Rose then sprung your ex-boss and the other inmates at Rainbow's End. Maybe Drakken could explain unto DNAmy how he created her".

"Wait," Shego's head hurt. "Drakken created her?"

"You'd become indolent, even threatened to quit…"

"…on several occasions," Shego comments offhandedly.

Dr. Director leaps inside. She'd reached the plasma wielder. Outwardly, she stayed calm moving on, "Hence, he put an alternative plan into motion. He created Scarlett Rose. That way, you leaving wouldn't hinder him taking over the world. Unfortunately, he programmed her to think Global Justice created her. Now, she's declared war against us. Me, specifically".

Shego clenched her fists irately. Dr. Director hadn't lied outright. Neither had she shared the whole truth. In her book, a half-truth was still a lie, only one of omission, and meant to deceive, same as any other lie. "Where'd they get Princes' DNA?" She growled through gritted teeth.

"Her family physician, local lab where she occasionally donated blood, or maybe where we found her blood last year, who knows?"

Again, she'd given her the lying truth, part of a half-truth, meant to wrangle her into doing a job, but what? It was past time she showed this conniving bitch. She was anyone's puppet. "What about G.J.'s samples destroyed when dissidents collapsed Deception Bridge in Washington?"

"We recovered those samples when we raided this dissident cell's main base of operations," Dr. Director didn't withhold the truth. Doing so would only alienate Shego worse. And she needed the plasma wielder's help.

"You intended on creating Kimmie clones, didn't you?"

"What'd you expect me to do?" Betty offered no apology for her actions. "Kimberly walked circles around my best agents. Her death only destabilized global security worse. Global Justice is losing this war on crime. Her return to action, after being rescued, would've been the shot in the arm G.J. needed, even partially restored the public's trust. We can protect them".

Shego discerned G.J. senior director didn't withhold anything. "Bets, what do you need…from me specifically?"

"This clone possesses damning evidence on some of the world's most powerful people. She's threatened to release this information. These men and women, my bosses included, tried but failed to terminate this clone. Hence, they've given me 48-hours. Find and recover, if not possible then destroy, this evidence, lastly terminate this clone".

Shego sensed something she'd never sensed from the apathetic woman, mortal, mind-numbing fear. "And what happens if you fail?" She probed her bosses' penalty.

"I'll be labeled a collaborate and terminated within 24-hours".

Her actions started to make more sense. "Is that why you issued that NQA-kill order over my head?"

"They did it unto me _first_ ".

"Real mature, Cyclops! Real mature! You sound like a 5-year-old. They did it unto me. So, what? You recruit me the same way? How'd that make you feel, Bets?" It took her full restraint. Shego wanted to barbecue her ass until nothing but ashes remained.

Dr. Director didn't say anything to excuse or condemn her own actions.

She'd already said. Her bosses gave her 48-hours. That can only mean there's an out. "What must we do to get out from under this death threat, You Beady-Eyed Bitch?"

"Find and destroy this Pact's latest base, and we'll be absolved of all guilt".

"Why should I?"

Okay, she didn't care about her personal freedom. Maybe she'd care about her family, "The Pact's arming itself. For what? We don't know".

"Like I care," Shego snorted, stone-faced.

"Worse yet, they're using Kimberly's reputation as their own personal rally cry to recruit people".

Shego stood straight up, fully erect. That got her attention.

"Oh, wait, you haven't heard the best part. Two of Kim's old friends lead this Pact".

"Who?" Shego gritted her teeth, tasting blood.

"I believe you know them. Felix Renton and Dr. Vivian Porter. They're this Pact's head leaders".

"I'll be in touch," Shego turned and left without another word.

Betty Director smirked, spotting a HenchCo black-market cell phone lying on her kitchen table. Her milk may've gotten cold. That phone assured her. She'd found a far better remedy by reaching the plasma wielder. Oh, she'd check her facts, but come back with something.

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Shego could care less about Dr. Director. Let her bosses plug her. She wouldn't lose a night's sleep. Neither was she worried about their death threats. They'd hunted her years. Only, Princess ever came close to bringing her down. G.J. didn't have that ace any longer. She wanted, but simply couldn't forget this whole ordeal.

It bugged her day and night, 24/7. She couldn't rest, knowing. These dissidents cloned her fallen Princess. Kimmie's own classmates, if she could trust G.J.'s INTEL. Renton and Porter used this abomination to justify their barmy crusade of murder. That capitalized their crimes in her book. She didn't eat or sleep, determined to find this Driftwood.

Maybe she'd know this base's location. Storm their gates, then she could get her hands ahold of Renton and Porter. She'd make them wish they'd never been born. It didn't take long. Her vast connections within the villain community helped her locate Driftwood within 24-hours. The Pact's recent activities even created ripples among other dissident groups.

Icy cold water imbued her head to toe. Francien Haas, a.k.a. Driftwood, shot up in bed, screaming in pain, as the numbness spread up her body. Teeth still chattering.

"Ah, you're awake".

Her eyes adjusted quickly unto the sparse light. Driftwood scoured her surroundings, noticing she wasn't inside her own bedroom any longer, also noticing her captor, "What do you want?"

"Answer one question, and you're free to go. Where's the Pact's central base of operations?" Her prisoner didn't answer quick enough. Shego loosened her tongue by grasping her arm roughly and channeling her plasma through her pores. "Where is it?" She yells over Driftwood's bitter cries.

"The Pact recently moved…" She trailed off.

Shego interpreted her hesitation wrongly, assuming. She was stalling, until she could devise a more believable lie. Enough people had already lied unto and toyed with her affections. She didn't have time for this. The plasma wielder pounced upon, mercilessly beating her prison, demanding more authoritatively with each blow, "Where?"

"Tien Shan Mountain Range, atop Jengish Chokusu, near the Kyrgyzstan-China border, a few miles southeast of Lake Issyk Kul".

Shego casted her prisoner aside and walked out.

She hadn't been gone that long. Scarlett Rose shimmered into open view.

Driftwood rolled over. Her eyes went wide, spotting her executioner standing there wielding a P90 assault rifle. "No, please, I…"

"…betrayed Master Shadow," Scarlett emptied 15-rounds through various sections of her body.

Outside, Shego stopped, hearing her prisoner scream in mortal terror, followed seconds later by automatic gunfire. The muzzle flashes lit up the deceased's darkened room.

Two neighbor heard the same commotion. An elder man stuck his head outside, spotting a very suspicious character standing amidst the street. He yelled, "Hey, you!"

"Ah, damn!" Shego cursed her luck. Few people cared about an ex-con's innocence, especially one already wanted dead or alive. How would these few feel about hearing she'd now turned into a notorious assassin, too? She couldn't stick around to find out.

"Stop!" He yelled.

Another neighbor stuck her head outside Haas' window evincing, "Murderer!"

Shego disappeared into the night. She blamed Cyclops. She put her here. If she hadn't roped her into his 'mission,' she wouldn't be wanted dead or alive now.

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Betty Director became more anxious with every ticking second. Shego left her house 36-hours ago. And she hadn't heard a word from her since. That left less than 12-hours to solve this case. If not, she wouldn't last until morning. She paced her office's full length, back and forth.

Gladys Knight and the Pips stopped her cold singing, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". He retrieves the HenchCo phone Shego left behind answering, "Hello".

"Assembly your strike teams. We'll be hitting the Pact's base within 6-hours".

"Where?"

"Jengish Chokusu Peak, near the Kyrgyzstan-China border, a few miles southeast of Lake Issyk Kul," Shego disclosed, then hung up without apology. She'd done her part.

"We'll be there," Dr. Director ignored the dial tone. At least now, she could end this threat and save her life at the same time.

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Kim knew they'd strike fast and hard. She posted synthodrones just beyond the base's perimeter. Their mission, scour the terrain and airwaves, notifying her the minute any aircraft and armed troops appeared on their scopes. She didn't have to wait long.

Her earbud buzzed 5-hours later. She tapped it lighting. Her southern synthodrone leader alerted her, "Chinese J-16 and Z-18 assigned unto the 9th Fighter Division of the PLAAF are headed this way, accompanied by 600 troops, including Chinese, American, Russian, and Hispanic agents".

"Stay out of sight. Let the planes pass by, then engage the troops".

"Orders?"

"Terminate all troops. All ends justify the means," Kim kills the connection. A plasmatic cocoon enveloped her head to toe, growing bright. She underwent a metamorphosis inside. Her cocoon dissipated. Kim emerged Shadow's twin.

She'd stirred the pot. Now it was time to play the handle dealt. She must convince G.J. and the world she, Shadow, Aurora (a.k.a. Vivian Porter), and the Pact are history. That was the whole point of orchestrating this charade.

She couldn't help but wonder. How would Master Shadow react unto what she'd done?

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So, hi everyone. We're not dead, if that's what you're wondering. One in the East, another West, making this collab taking more time than ever to finish. And, with me battling my final term before graduating, and setting off to university, it's one tight schedule to keep. But rest assure, this is definitely continuing. Do, drop us a few words to let us know how we're doing. Til next time.


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